A Change in Fate
by Summer is Fun
Summary: I was wandering across dimensions for as long I can remember. I would go through the circle of life then be reborn in a different world everytime. I thought there wasn’t any hope for me, until I came across a certain dimension with multicolored ponies that sing and dance on a daily basis.
1. Prologue

**If you don't like prologues, skip to chapter 2.**

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Have you ever felt like you were trapped in hellish nightmare? Force to endure the pain and suffering over and over again with no way out? _B__egging _the ancient reaper to take you away from your misery?

Well, I surely hope your answer was no and you live a perfect life surrounded by loved ones with sunshines and rainbows, singing about harmony and friendship.

I don't have that. Instead, I got a cursed life.

A life of desperation, craving for a freedom that will never come.

A life of cold emptiness, unable to feel anything. Too afraid of my own emotions.

A life of utter _loneliness, _abandoned by those thought to be trust and forced to leave behind those who've shown me kindness.

No one deserves this cruel fate. No one deserves what I had to endure. No one...but me.

I've been wandering for what seemed like eternity with no real purpose. Because I've given up a _long_ time ago. There's no freedom for me and all I can do is isolate myself, so that I could lessen the pain. But even, doing that is a challenge it seems.

The fates have given me a curse, not a blessing. Who wants to have immortality at the cost of their own freedom? To have all the knowledge in the worlds at the cost of leaving _everything_ behind? To be controlled for the rest of your existence just to fulfill your deepest desires? I made a mistake and I couldn't take it back.

There's no hope for me. Not in a million years.

At least that's what I thought.


	2. Friendship is Magic: Part 1

**Disclaimer: MLP characters doesn't belong to me except for my own OC.**

**This is inspired by the fanfiction _A New Hero_, by AlexLoneWolf. **

**This is my first story so keep in mind that it's not perfect. The beginning is the same as SO1EP1 of MLP so if you want to skip that, then scroll down to ???'s POV and start reading there. **

**I got nothing else to say so enjoy. **

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It was a bright, sunny day and two days before the Summer Sun Celebration, a momentous occasion when ponies honor Princess Celestia of Equestria, who brought peace and harmony to them. She would raise the sun that would signal the longest day of the year. As such, excitement was in the air and preparations were underway.

While everypony was having fun on this fine day. A certain unicorn was reading under the shade of a tree. She had a purple coat and a tricolored mane and tail. On her flank was a six pointed star surrounded by five smaller stars. This was Twilight Sparkle. She was a highly gifted pony and the star pupil of the princess to boot. She was currently reading a famous old pony tale:

_Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria. There were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sister maintain balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies._

_But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. _

_One fateful day, the younger sister refuse to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness, Nightmare Moon. __She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. _

_Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponymen, the Elements of Harmony. _

_Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister and banished her permanently in the moon. The elder took on responsibility for both sun and moon and harmony has been maintain in Equestria for generations since. _

"Hmm, Elements of Harmony," Twilight said thoughtfully, "I know I've heard of those before. But where?"

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**???'s POV**

It was another regular morning here in Ponyville. I woke up with a small yawn at the first light of dawn as usual and started to get ready for the day. Going into the bathroom, I noticed my disheveled mane and droopy eyes. I splashed some water on my face to give it some life but it had no effect. I sighed in defeat and just combed my mane and brushed my teeth.

I got some gold bits with me and put them in the abyss, because logic exist here, and went out the door. Using my magic, a silver aura surrounded the doorknob and locked it with a click. I looked toward the sun and figured I'd have some time to get breakfast.

I walked down the dirt path that led to the center of town and went to a little cafe.

"Morning," the waitress greeted cheerily when I walked in.

I nodded to her and said, "a cup of coffee please."

She went to the back and I sat at the counter waiting. She came back a minute later with the coffee and I levitated it to me while also dropping a bit on the counter. Without a word, I went out the door.

With a gulp, I swallowed the hot liquid and made my way to town hall to meet Mayor Mare. I didn't really have a specific job so I just accepted any errands the mayor offered. I didn't know how else to get money.

As soon as I went into the building, a solid body suddenly came into my view and had me stumbling back with an _oof _and my coffee flew through the air. Rubbing my nose, I looked at the other and saw that it was the mayor with a bunch of papers around her.

She was on the ground, looking a bit dizzy. She had a tan coat with a gray mane and tail. On her flank was a scroll tied with a blue ribbon as her cutie mark. Her mane was styled in a messy bun and a pair of reading glasses was perched crookedly on her snout. She shook her head and and reached for the scattered papers, murmuring to herself "_need to prepare...princess is coming..." _I coughed to get her attention.

Turning to me with wide eyes, she said, "oh dear, I'm so sorry. I'm a bit frazzled and wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's alright Mayor Mare. It was my fault," I responded. With a small burst of magic, I gathered all the papers in a neat stack and hovered it to her.

She held it more securely and readjusted her glasses. "Oh, thank you so much. I'm sorry I couldn't do the same for your drink."

"It's quite alright. I'll manage without it." I glanced at the spilled coffee before turning back to her. "Is there anything that you need me to do today?"

"Yes, yes. Umm, Rarity needs help carrying supplies from her boutique to the town hall, the town square needs a bit of a cleaning, the Cakes wanted some cupcakes to be delivered to a few houses at noon, and banners need to be painted for the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Alright, I'll get righ—wait, did you say the Summer Sun Celebration?" Personally, I didn't really care much about it. I mean, I get that ponies would get to see the princess in action, but seriously, it's not really a big deal compared to what I had seen.

"Of course! How could you forget it's the day after tomorrow?!" She stared incredulously at me.

"I thought it was in a few months, but it seems that time flies by fast."

"Indeed, especially when you're having fun. Now, I'll trust you to finish your work and I'll be on my way. Have a good day." And with that, she walk away.

"You too," I echoed, staring after her.

I gave a glance at the cooling liquid on the floor and banished it with a single spark of my horn. I turned and walked at a moderate pace to my first task, Carousel Boutique.

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**3rd Person POV**

Twilight was walking with a bag of books on her back, when three ponies came up in front of her. On the left was a light blue-coated mare with an hourglass cutie mark, the middle had a white coat with blue stars for her cutie mark, and the right had a yellow coat with hearts for her cutie mark.

"There you are Twilight," the middle one said with exasperation, "Moon Dancer is having a little get-together in the west castle courtyard. You wanna come?"

Twilight awkwardly replied, "oh, sorry girls. I've...uhh...got a lot of studying to catch up on." With a nervous smile, she rushed past them.

"Does that pony do anything except study?" she asked with a scoff to her blue friend.

"I think she's more interested in books than friends." Filled with annoyance, the three of them walked away.

Whether she heard that little remark or not, Twilight sprinted to her tower with determination. "I know I heard of the Elements of Harmony."

She sprinted up the stair case and burst through the door, unintentionally sending her trusty dragon assistant hurling to the floor. She looked around and yelled for him.

Spike was a small, baby dragon with purple scales and a set of green spikes trailing from his head to his tail. Right now, he was on the floor with eyes rolling around in his head.

"There you are." She ran past him and hurriedly searched through her books. "Quick. Find me an old copy of Predictions and Prophecies."

Turning back to him, she noticed the rumpled present with his tail impales through it. "What's that for?" she asked confused.

Spike took the now destroyed gift in his claws and gazed at it sadly. "Well, it was a gift for Moon Dancer but..." A badly ripped teddy fell out of it, stuffings and all.

"Oh Spike, you know we don't have time for that sort of thing."

"But we're on a break!"

Ignoring him, she focused on her magic to summon several books toward her, but became frustrated when she couldn't find what she was looking for.

"Ughh Spike!"

"It's over here!" He called out from atop a tall ladder, holding out a book.

Twilight pulled it toward her at an alarming speed, unknowingly dragging Spike along with it. He face-planted onto the floor with a _splat _while she inspected it. With a satisfactory "ahh," she trots away and dropped the books she levitated. With a sigh, he began cleaning up.

"Elements...elements...e...e...e...Aha! Elements of Harmony, see Mare in the Moon?"

Putting the books on the shelves, Spike looked back questionably. "Mare in the Moon? But that's just an old pony's tale."

"Mare...mare...Aha! The Mare in the Moon. Myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria. Defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape and she will bring about nighttime eternal." With a gasp, she turned to the dragon. "Spike do you know what this means?!"

"No," he mumbled before falling from the tall ladder and safely onto Twilight's back.

"Take a note please. To the princess." She straightened her tail in a dignified manner.

"Okie dokie." He happily slid down and began to write.

"Dear Princess Celestia..."

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**THE NEXT DAY **

**???'s POV**

Last day of preparations and there are tons of things I need to do. But that morning, I instantly felt something was wrong. Over the years, I had learned to trust my instincts and right now it was telling me that something horrible was going to happen today. Specifically the Summer Sun Celebration.

There wasn't anything I could do about it, so I didn't let it faze me and started my day like usual. I ran a couple errands and was on my way to help Rarity. Strolling around town, I noticed a royal chariot landing in the middle of the street I was on. _Huh, _I thought, _why would someone of high class come to a common little town like Ponyville?_

It was a purple unicorn, who had a sullen face, and by the look of her cutie mark, her specialty was magic. Her posture and eyes showed maturity and high intelligence. She also had some kind of reptilian following behind her with a checklist. Though based on what I've read, it seemed to be a baby dragon, less than a century old, but also with an air of maturity. Wonder how she got one.

I kept walking as if nothing was out of the ordinary and saw that Pinkie Pie had just dashed away at an abnormally high speed, leaving a confuse pair. Wandering past the chariot, I continued on my way to town hall.

However, I heard the thumping of tiny feet and the little dragon popped up in front of me. I looked at him impassively and tilted my head.

"Hi, there. I'm Spike and I was wondering if you could help us," he asked with a big smile.

"Sure," I replied with a neutral expression, "how can I help you?"

He turned back to the mare and motioned her towards me. She was just standing there awkwardly as if she'd never socialized before. _Now that I think about it, that might be the case, _I thought. Intelligent ponies usually felt isolated with their own peers and drowned themselves in books to pass the time. I soften my expression and brought some warmth to my eyes to look more welcoming.

She relaxed somewhat and with Spike encouraging her, she said, "my name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm here to check on the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration and I'm sorry to ask you of this but..." she hesitated, "would guide me to where I need to go if it's no trouble?"

I nodded my head. "Of course. Where do you need to go first?"

Spike scanned at the checklist. "Sweet Apple Acres."

That was on the opposite direction of where I was going, but I didn't show any complaint. On the way, they asked me some questions, mainly Spike.

"What's it like living in Ponyville?"

"Simple."

"Who was that crazy, pink pony?"

"Pinkie Pie."

"Oh, do you know everyone here?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"It's a small town. Everyone knows everyone." _Unfortunately._

"What's your na—"

"How long till we get there? I really need to get to the library," Twilight interrupted in a grumpy voice.

I blinked and looked at her from my peripheral vision. "We're here."

"Oh." She perked up and looked around.

We were at the entrance, overlooking the whole landscape. There was a big red barn in front of us and everywhere else were hundred of acres of apple trees. It was a magnificent sight to see for a newcomer like them, if their awed faces was any indication. But Twilight snapped out of it and remembered her task...and she was back to being grumpy.

Spiked looked at the checklist and read out "number 1. Banquet preparations. Sweet Apple Acres."

"Yeehaw!!!"

Applejack sprinted past us, heading toward a tree at full speed only to turn and kick the trunk powerfully with her hind legs, making all the apples fall and into the containers seamlessly. It was almost satisfying. Applejack herself had an orange coat and blond hair with a cowboy hat perched on her head. Her cutie mark were three bright red apples, fitting for a member of the Apple family.

With a sigh, Twilight walked to the tomboyish mare. "Well let's get this over with."

I stayed behind and watched from a distance. It looked like Applejck was vigorously shaking Twilight's hoof. I sat down by a random tree and picked off an apple. Biting into it, juicy sweetness instantly filled my mouth, but that's how the apples always were here. Top quality.

After leaving a coin in a container, I walked to the gazebo where an Apple family reunion seemed to be happening with Twilight as the main guest.

I came just in time to hear Twilight say "fine" in a defeated voice and cheers erupted all around me.

I felt something clenched my chest and my breathing quickened. I stepped out of the gazebo and smelled the fresh air to calm my beating heart. I never did well with loud crowds—or wild parties for that matter. I went back to the archway at the entrance and decided to wait for them.

An hour later, a bloated Twilight appeared and I could tell she ate everything the Apple Family gave her. Probably to be polite.

We were walking back and she groaned in pain, ready to collapse. "Ughh. Where were you? You could've helped me."

"I didn't want to intrude."

Spike chimed in. "Food's all taken care of. Next is weather."

Twilight mustered up a groan. "Ughh. I ate too much pie."

I saw a flash of rainbow in the cloudy sky and assumed a certain mare was going to appear soon.

Spike searched the sky. "Hmm. There's suppose to be a pegasus pony name Rainbow Dash clearing the clouds."

"Well, she's not doing a very good job is she?"

_Well, more like she's busy practicing her stunts._

Another flash but this time heading towards Twilight at an alarming speed. I took a step back and _BANG!_

She was pushed face first into a mud puddle and a light blue pegasus with rainbow hair was sprawled on top of her. On her flank was a cloud with a rainbow thunderbolt. Both were caked in mud and it was an amusing sight.

Rainbow Dash snickered at Twilight and had the gall to say, "uhh...Excuse me."

The muddy unicorn sent her an unamused glare, still laying in the mud. I was about to use my magic to clean her up but somepony beat me to it.

"Let me help you." Still snickering, the pegasus sped away and came back with a dark cloud.

She positioned it over Twilight and proceeded to hop on it until all the rainwater was gone. Only to leave a thoroughly soaked and even more grumpy mare.

"Oops, I guess I overdid it. Uhh, how bout this?"

She flew around her quickly, forming a rainbow mini-tornado around her, blowing drying her hair. "My very own patented. Rainblow Dry. No, no don't thank me. You're quite welcome."

She peered back at her and promptly fell down in a fit of laughter. Spike got a glimpse and followed Rainbow Dash, unable to contain his giggles. I blink and saw that Twilight's mane and tail were comically frizzy and poofy.

I stepped up beside her and waited for the two to stop laughing. Twilight gave me a disgruntled look and I shrugged. She let out an irritated sigh as she turned back to the two.

"Let me guess, you're Rainbow Dash."

At her name, she stood up arrogantly and tossed Spike off her back. "The one and only." She got up close excitedly. "Why? You've heard of me?"

"I heard you're suppose to be keeping the sky clear," she rebuked and heaved another sigh. "I'm Twilight Sparkle and the Princess sent me to check on the weather."

She laid on a cloud in a relaxed manner. "Yah, yah. That'll be a snap. I'll do it in a jiffy. Just as soon as I'm done practicing."

"Practicing for what?"

I sighed. _The Wonderbolts. _

_"_The Wonderbolts!" She did a flip in the air. "They're gonna be performing at the celebration tomorrow and I'm gonna show'em my stuff."

"_The_ Wonderbolts" she said with a smirk.

"Yup."

"The most talented flyers in all of Equestria."

"That's them."

She scoffed. "Please. They'd never accept a pegasus who can't even keep the sky clear for one measly day."

I resisted the urge to shake my head.

"Hey! I can keep the sky clear in 10 seconds flat." She challenged.

"Prove it."

Rainbow Dash quickly flew around and kicked every cloud in the sky, ending at exactly ten seconds. Pretty impressive.

"What'd I say. Ten seconds flat. I'd never leave Ponyville hanging."

Whether Twilight knew it or not, it was a good way to get Rainbow Dash to do her work instead of lazing about. I gave her an appraising nod. Twilight was in a state of shock and Spike smiled knowingly at her.

"Haha, you should see the look on your face. Haha, you're a laugh Twilight Sparkle. I can't wait to hang out some more?" And with that, she dashed away.

I shook Twilight out of her stupor. "Come on. I'll walk you home so you can clean yourself up more properly."

She shook her head fervently. "No, it's ok. We'll keep going. Spike, what's next?"

"Decorations. Town hall." He sniggered, bouncing some of her hair. "It's kind of pretty once you get use to it."

She gave a low growl, so I interrupted with a cough. "Lets go. I was suppose to go there anyway."

She blinked in surprise. "Oh, you didn't tell us that you had a job to do. I wouldn't have asked you to help us."

"It's quite alright. I'm sure Rarity would understand."

"Well, if you say so."

I nodded and walked into town. "Come on. It's this way."

I led us to the center of town and into the large building. Upon entering, I saw the decorations that Rarity had hung up and it was phenomenal.

"Beautiful." I heard Spike called out in wonder.

Twilight agreed. "Yes, the decor is coming along nicely. This ought to be quick. I'll be in the library in no time. Beautiful indeed."

"Not the decor. _Her._" He pointed to Rarity on the stage.

And there she was. She was a white-coated unicorn with her hair in an elegant curl. Her cutie mark was three light blue diamonds. Currently, she was deciding on what colored ribbon to use.

"How are my spines? Are they straight?"

I glanced over at Spike and saw that he was instantly smitten with her. "Yes, they are."

Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Hello Rarity, do you need help with anything?" I asked.

"Oh yes, what color should the ribbons be?" she asked distractedly.

"I believe red would complement the theme you're going for."

She tied a red ribbon to a piller. "Oh! Your absolutely right my darling. And a little sparkle does the trick does it not?"

"It does."

"Why Rarity, you are a talent. Now darling, could you please tie the rest of these ribbons for me?"

I levitated the box of ribbons. "Of course."

As I walked away, I heard Twilight introduce herself, but Rarity interrupted by letting out a shriek at Twilight's appearance. I put up some ribbons and heard the sound of the door closing. Rarity was probably giving the poor pony a make over.

As soon as I was done, I looked around with an inspecting eye and decided to improve it a little. Using my magic, I sucked all the dust to my horn and turned them into little sparkles. Next, I decided to put some glow on the flowers because the event would start early morning, when it would be dark out. I shot specks of light to each basket of flowers and watched as they emitted an ethereal glow. Finally, I did the same on the draperies on the balconies.

When I finished, the whole place looked more...unique I guess. The glow didn't outrageously pop to distract from the main attraction, but gave off a soft light that would allow ponies to see the decorations at night. It also highlighted the sparkles in the air, making it look like little stars. All in all, it looked amazing. With that, I went to Rarity's boutique to check on Twilight and Spike.

When I arrived, they weren't in sight and Rarity appeared in the room with some rubies.

"Found them," she sang, but noticed only me. "Oh, do you know where Twilight went?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Hmm, she must've had something to do. I assume the decorations are finished."

"Yes, would you like to take a look?"

"Of course! I want to see the final result." She sauntered out the door.

I followed her and watched as examined inside.

She didn't say anything, but when she did, it was filled with astonishment. "Oh my goodness. This is splendid! Oh that glow really does tie everything together and makes everything so spectacular. How ever did you do it?"

"Magic."

She looked at the time and gave a gasp. "Oh, Pinkie's surprise welcome party for Twilight is beginning soon. We should make our way to the Golden Oak library to surprise her."

I looked out the window and saw the sun starting to set. I nodded to Rarity and we made our way to the library. Upon seeing it, I was surprise it was actually a huge hollow tree. It did make sense I suppose with books coming from trees and whatnot.

We went inside and saw tons of ponies putting up party decorations.

A pink pony with balloons as her cutie mark bounced over and greeted us with a joyous shout. "Hey guys! Ready for the most awesomest party in the whole wide world!"

Rarity chuckled. "Pinkie, that's what you said about the last party dear."

"Yeah! But that was then and this is NOW! It's not only the pre-Summer Sun Celebration party! It's also a welcome for our NEW friend and to show that she's got lots and lots of friends, so it's two parties in one and I'm so NERVACITEDDD—oomph."

Miraculously, I was able to keep up on what she was saying while Rarity couldn't take it anymore and shoved a hoof in her mouth to keep her from talking.

I walked to a couple of ponies and helped them put up streamers with my magic.

When voices could be heard outside the door, everypony got quiet and Pinkie Pie killed the lights. The door opened and came in Fluttershy with Spike in her hooves. But was immediately pushed outside by Twilight and given an abrupted farewell.

"Huh, rude much?" Spike chided.

"Sorry Spike, but I have to convince the Princess that Nightmare Moon is coming and we're running out of time..."

My curiosity peaked.

"...I just need to be alone so I can study without a bunch of crazy ponies trying to make friends all the time. Now where's the lights?"

And just like that the lights were on. Everyone shouted a loud "SURPRISE!!!" and Twilight to let out a frustrated groan.

I went to a secluded corner and thought about what she said. _Who is Nightmare Moon? Why does she need the Princess's help? Why do I get the feeling that she was right to be concern? Is this the reason why I was feeling off this morning?_

Since this is a library, I figured I'll be able to get information on it. Suddenly, a lout toot broke me from my thoughts and I blinked at the peculiar sight in front of me. Twilight's mane and tail were on fire and she was floating in the air before zooming upstairs. That was...weird, but I had seen weirder.

I looked around the library and searched for a book on Nightmare Moon. To do that, I had to push my way through the crowd of ponies that made my chest clenched uncomfortably, but I ignored it.

Finally, I found a book called _The Origins of Nightmare Moon _and quickly read through it. What I found was shocking.

Apparently, this dark alicorn was going to be free from her prison on the moon on the longest day of the thousandth year, which was tomorrow. And she wanted all of Equestria to be in eternal night, all because she was jealous of her sister. It was more troubling than I thought.

I wasn't sure on what to do because the other ponies would think I was crazy if I spout about it. But honestly, I didn't want to get involve. Ever since I came here, everything was calm and peaceful, no signs of violence, and I was able to live a comfortable life here. Well, as comfortable as I could get.

If I helped Twilight defeat Nightmare Moon there was no doubt that I would be dragged along on more adventures. I could sit back and leave everything to Twilight...but she could fail and every pony would still be endangered. My peace would be shattered no mater what.

I heard the music getting louder and soon ponies were dancing in the middle of the room. I decided to keep quiet unless I absolutely need to intervene.

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**9 HOURS LATER**

The party went on all night and it was surprising how ponies still had enough energy to stay awake. I peered at the clock on the wall and it read 4 am. It was almost time for the princess to raise the sun.

I became more anxious, but my face never changed. I didn't mingle much and just read some books to gain more information. When someone did talk to me, I would respond back, but didn't let it become an actual conversation.

After Pinkie Pie finished playing Pin the Tail on the Pony, she shouted, "ALRIGHT MY PARTY ANIMALS, IT'S TIME TO WATCH THE SUNRISE! EVERYPONY TO TOWN HALL!"

And just like that, everypony rushed out the door like a stampede, leaving a mess for Twilight and Spike to clean up.

Speaking of Twilight, I turned to Spike and asked, "could you get Twilight please?"

"Sure, wouldn't want her to miss the sunrise." He hopped up the stairs, where I presumed was her room.

I strolled out and made my way to town hall with a sickening felling in my gut. I saw everypony there and Pinkie Pie was flitting about as if on a sugar rush. I always wondered how she could eat so much sweets but stayed the same size. I focused my attention on stage where Mayor Mare was preparing to make her speech.

The weird feeling was more intense, so I was on my guard, eyeing all the openings and exits. I kept an ear out for anything strange and the other listening to the speech.

"—and now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land. The very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each an everyday. The good. The wise. The bringer of harmony to all of Equestria. Princess Celestia."

A royal fanfare from Fluttershy and her birds were heard. Rarity opened the curtains of the center balcony to reveal...

Nothing.

There was no princess.

Worried murmurs filled the air as Rarity searched behind the curtains, only to confirm everyone's fear: the Princess was gone.

I heard gasps all around and readied myself for the inevitable. Because even if I didn't know these ponies personally, I didn't want them to suffer due to my inactions. I stepped up beside Twilight at the front.

At that moment, as smoke formed into the shape of a tall pony, I made my decision. I wouldn't allow these ponies to be in any harm, even at the price of my own temporary peace. I raised my head and stared at the ominous figure.

A tall, dark alicorn now stood on the balcony. She had an inky black coat, smoky mane and tail that resembled the night sky, sharp fangs, and a blotch on her flank with the image of a crescent moon. Her long horn could impale somepony and massive wings that showed that she was just as dangerous in the air. No doubt about it, this was the infamous Nightmare Moon.

When she spoke, her voice cut through the silence like a knife. "Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun-loving faces."

"What did you do with our princess?!" yelled Rainbow Dash.

She shot towards her, but was pulled back by Applejack. "Slow down, Nelly."

A chilling laugh could be heard. "Why, am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?"

Pinkie Pie chose to be her optomitic self and appeared unfazed by what was happening. "Ooh, ooh. More guessing games. Umm, Hokey Smokes. How bout Queen Meanie. No, Black Snooty, Black Snooty—mmpphh"

I zipped her mouth closed with a flare of my horn. Antagonizing a powerful enemy was never a good choice. Applejack gave me a look of gratitude and I nodded to her.

"Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?" She goes over to Rarity. "Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the sign?"

"I did."

All attention was now on Twilight as she stepped forward from my side.

"And I know who you are," she declared confidently, "you're the Mare in the Moon, Nightmare Moon."

The crowd gave a horrified gasp.

Nightmare Moon spoke to her with vicious glee. "Well, well, well. Somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here."

"You're here to..to..." She gulped. I pulled her behind me.

Another cruel laugh. "Remember this day little ponies for it is your last. From this moment forth the night will last FOREVER!"

A spinning vortex formed over us and bolts of lightning struck out dangerously. My horn lit up to cast a protection spell. A silver glow surrounded each pony so faintly that nopony took notice, except for Nightmare Moon. I stared directly into her eyes, challenging her, and as I felt my cutie mark burn with ferocity, I accepted my fate once again.

**To be continued...**

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**Author's Note:**

**I hope there wasn't much grammatical errors and hope that you enjoy. I want to keep my OC mysterious for now and decided to follow the MLP storyline. **

**Each chapter will be an episode and it'll be similar to the episodes with subtle changes that my character will bring. These changes will lead to a big reveal which you will have to wait for. I'm pretty sure you can guess what it is. **

**Feedback would be nice so leave a review. I don't care if it's a bad review. Tell what I need to work on because I'm not a writer type of person and I'm only writing this for fun. So please forgive me if you wanted some serious plot and originality. **

**I will try to update as much as possible but I can't promise anything. Like I said, I'm only writing thi****s fanfiction for fun. **

**Until the next update. **


	3. Friendship is Magic: Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any MLP characters except for my OC.**

**I forgot to add that their are no pairings because romance is not my thing. So if you were looking for romance, this is not the place, but I encourage you to keep reading anyway.**

**Just a heads up, the format changes somewhere in the middle of the story and I can't do anything about it cus this this app is so frustrating. Try to ignore if you can.**

**Enjoy.**

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**???'s POV**

Ponies screamed in fear as lightning bolts were flung all over the room, but fortunately, no pony was hurt due to my protection spell. I strained a little at the impact but ignored it.

Nightmare Moon just cackled at all the chaos.

"Seize her! Only she knows where the princess is!" ordered the mayor.

A couple guards flew toward the alicorn to attack her, but she saw them coming. "Stand back you fools!" With an insane laugh, she struck them with lightning, rendering them unconscious and soaring through the air.

I swiftly surrounded them with magic to stop them from hitting the walls and lowered them down safely. I charged at her and flared my horn, but before I could do anything, she turned back into smoke and disappeared into the night sky.

Rainbow Dash managed to break free from Applejack's grasp and raced outside.

Among the chaos, I saw Twilight sprinting out the door with Spike on her back. By the stubborn look on her face, she intended to go after Nightmare Moon. I couldn't very well let her go alone, but somepony had to calm down the others first.

I ran to the stage and stood next to the distressed mayor. "You should get everypony home before things get out of hand."

She jumped a foot in the air and looked at me with wide eyes. "Oh dear, you startled me."

I repeated what I said.

She nodded her head firmly. "Of course, of course." She cleared her throat. "Attention! Attention please..."

It fell on deaf ears. The ponies were still frantically running around and shouting over each other that I nearly missed five mares galloping away.

I pointed my horn to the mayor's throat and magically increased her volume.

"...atTENTION PLEASE!"

Th booming voice shocked the room to silence and heads whipped to the mayor, who was alarmed at the sudden change. She composed herself and thanked me.

"Now, I know you have every right to be frighten but I assure you that the princess will return. Nightmare Moon will be defeated and the sun will shine once more. I ask you to go to your homes and stay there until the danger has pass for your safety. Dismiss!"

Ponies left muttering about the recent event. I trotted out and set my gaze to the direction of the library. Twilight would most definitely be there. Coming at the door, I heard multiple voices inside. I looked through a window and saw Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy all gathered around Twilight.

"...some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her, but I don't what they are, where to find them. I don't even know what they _do._"

I decided to give them a hoof and slammed the door open with a bang. "The Elements of Harmony has the ability to purify any kind of evil or chaos. There are six elements, but only five are documented. Kindness, laughter, generosity, honesty and loyalty. The last one is said to be revealed when all five elements are united with a spark."

I could tell they were all stupefied by my appearance, even more by my thorough explanation. All of a sudden, Rainbow Dash darted in front of my face and scrutinized me suspiciously. "What are you doing here and how do you know so much about the Elements of Harmony?"

I gave her a deadpan look. "I read."

Twilight's eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh! It's you. I'm sorry we left without saying good bye," she said with a sheepish look.

"It's quite alright. I understand you were in a rush."

"Still—"

"Now wait just a minute." Rainbow Dash angrily interrupted. "You didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

"I came to help."

Pinkie Pie jumped up with a tray of cupcakes. "Ooh, the more the merrier."

"Do you know where the Elements of Harmony are?" asked Applejack.

"In the castle ruins of the two sisters."

"And where exactly is that?" asked Rarity, dreading the answer.

"The Everfree Forest."

"THE EVERFREE FOREST!" they shouted in disbelief.

I blinked. "Yes."

They looked at each other anxiously, then Rainbow Dash puffed up and said, "psshhh, that's no big deal. I could go in there with wings tied behind my back and how do we know you're telling the truth?"

"Oh, please. You wouldn't last a second in that darn forest and there ain't no reason not to trust her," Applejack retorted with a roll of her eyes.

"Umm...on second thought, maybe I should just stay home," Fluttershy stuttered, hiding behind her long mane.

Twilight looked at the others with a determined gaze. "We don't have much time. We have to get to the Elements of Harmony before Nightmare Moon does or else we'll be spending the rest of our lives fumbling around in the dark."

At those words, the others straightened their backs and together, we made our way to the edge of the Everfree Forest.

When I first saw it, I could understand why ponies were wary. The trees were grown in a twisted way, giving the appearance of sinister creatures lurking in the shadows. The moonlight didn't penetrate the cover much, so it was nearly pitch black on the inside. Based on what I've read, weather patterns were unnatural and the creatures inside were wild and dangerous. As we got closer and closer, I could see the others faltering as we came to a stop at the entrance.

Twilight turned and regarded them for a moment. "If you don't want to do this, you don't have to. I'll be fine on my own."

While it is was noble of her to think of the safety of others, I knew they were going to disagree. I decided to stand back and let them sort it out, acting only when needed. If I had a choice, I would've gone into the forest alone.

"No can do Sugercube," Applejack insisted, "we sure aren't letting a _friend_ of ours go into that creepy place alone."

The other four agreed while Twilight made a funny face at the word _friend._ I would've done the same, if I wasn't so focused on a small, smoky shadow at the corner of my eye.

"We're sticking to you like caramel on a candy apple." As one, they marched right into the forest. "Especially if there's candy apples in there" Pinkie Pie added.

Twilight gave her a weird look.

"What? Those things are good." She skipped off.

Twilight sighed in defeat and I brought a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. She shot me a smile and steeled herself. Together, we walked inside and caught up with the rest of the group.

After walking for a bit, I lit my horn to see where I was going and saw Twilight and Rarity doing the same. This released some of the tension in the atmosphere.

"So, none of you have even been in here before?" Twilight stammered.

"Oh heavens no. Just look at it. It's dreadful!" Rarity answered nervously. To be honest, it probably looked exotic during daytime.

"And it ain't natural," Applejack continued. "Folks say that it don't work the same as Equestria."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Twilight asked worriedly. I felt something odd with the ground under our hooves. It was almost...alive.

Rainbow Dash chose that moment to step out of the shadows and eerily replied, "nobody knows." I inwardly rolled my eyes.

Rarity, Fluttershy, and surprisingly Pinkie Pie froze in their tracks and looked scared to death. The blue pegasus crawled to them at a slow pace. "Y'know why?"

"Rainbow, quit it!" scolded Applejack, but was ignored.

"Cause' every pony who's ever come in, has never come OUT!"

The cliff we were standing on crumbled unexpectedly, leaving the wingless ponies falling toward a chasm. I was caught off guard for a second, but managed to stab my front hooves deep into the hard dirt to slow my momentum until stopping completely. I saw the two pegasus catching Pinkie Pie and Rarity, while Applejack bit down on a root. Twilight, however, wasn't as lucky and was hanging off the edge of a cliff, kicking in a panic.

Applejack slid down to meet her. _Twilight could lose her grip at any moment_, I thought worriedly. I didn't know what to do until I set my eyes on Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. They would be able to catch her more quickly than I could with my magic.

I concentrated and levitated the rescued pair and myself, while to the ones flying I said, "I'll keep them safe. I trust you two to be ready to catch Twilight when she falls. "

They both nodded and zoomed down. I lowered the three of us to the bottom of the cliff, feeling a bead of sweat roll down my face.

The pink pony clapped like a filly and squealed, "Yay! Let's do that again!"

"No!" Rarity snapped, "I _refuse _to partake in another life-threatening situation."

I agreed completely.

A scream was heard above us and my heart almost stopped when Twilight was free-falling, but relaxed when Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had her in their hooves. Only to repeat when they dropped quickly, but regained their balance again. _My heart is not gonna survive if this keeps up, _I thought wryly.

"Sorry girls, I'm not used to holding more than a bunny or two," said Fluttershy with a sheepish look.

When they were finally on the ground, I breath in relief until I heard a distant roar. _What was that? _I looked back to the others and they didn't show any signs that they heard anything.

"C'mon girls, the castle should be this way." Twilight started leading them in the direction of the roar. I strained my ears but there was only silence, so I dismissed it. Nevertheless, I kept an eye out for any dark creatures.

As we trekked, a wave of nostalgia passed over me. The forest kind of reminded me of another dangerous forest. One where I and a few others were wandering around in the middle night. I felt something ache within me the more I thought about it, so I inspected my surroundings instead.

Animal footprints, carnivurous plants, catnips, manticore, insects...wait.

I double tracked and narrowed my eyes at the hidden figure. Lion body, check...scorpian tail, check...bat wings, check. Yup, a manticore alright. I was about to call Twilight, but the creature jumped and powerfully landed right in front of the group. It released a terrifying roar, causing the girls, except Fluttershy, to spring into action.

I stayed back a bit to find a weakness to shoot at without hitting the others. I was impressed with Rarity when she did a back kick onto the Manticore's face. Although, it was short lived since she ran away after her mane was ruined. I noticed Fluttershy trying to gain everyone's attention, but she was barely heard.

"Yee-haw! Git along, lil' doggy!" Applejack was now riding on its head while it angrily tried to shake her off. Fluttershy called out again, but was still too quiet. Soon, the cowgirl was flung off and managed to past the task onto Rainbow Dash in midair.

She saluted. "I'm on it." She circled the creature, forming a mini tornado, just like the time with Twilight.

While this was going on, I decided to give the shy pegasus a benefit of a doubt and show some kindness to her. I trotted to her side and whispered, "I saw some catnip nearby. I'll calm it down with it, so you can figure out what's wrong."

She stared at me in surprise, then her lips stretched into a small smile. "Tha-a-nk you."

I nodded and rushed to get the catnip.

It was easy to find and by the time I came back, Rainbow Dash was knocked out of the air, crashing roughly onto the ground. Fluttershy was off to the side and the others were getting ready to charge. I sprinted to the front—ignored the ear splitting roar that possibly made me deaf—and hovered the plant in front of the manticore's face. It was instantly entranced and playfully pawed it, mindful of its left paw I noted.

I turned around and was faced with five dumbfounded stares and a proud smile from Fluttershy. I glanced from the giant cat to her.

Getting the hint, she walked forward without an ounce of fear and rubbed its paw with her nose. Hesitantly, it lifted its paw to reveal a massive thorn with a dark presence surrounding it. And it looked quite painful too.

"Oh, you poor, poor little baby," she cooed.

"Little?" echoed Rainbow Dash.

"Now this might hurt for just a second." She plucked the thorn out quickly and was immediately met by another roar.

"FLUTTERSHY!" they all screamed. I forced my heart to relax because I knew she wasn't in danger.

The purring cat licked Fluttershy, covering her face and hair in saliva. "Hee, hee. Oh, your just a little old baby kitty aren't you. Yes, you are. Yes, you are," she said in a mothering voice.

The other five slipped past and I gave it another catnip. It instantly dove for it, freeing the pegasus from its grasp.

She rejoined and Twilight asked, "how did you know about the thorn?"

"I didn't. Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness."

Twilight gained a thoughtful expression and we all continued our way. Fluttershy slowed down to my side. "Thanks for listen-n-ing to me when no one else would. You're a good _friend."_

At that last word, I froze a little, but continued walking so the mare wouldn't notice. _Friend? When was the last time anyone called me a friend? _

Everything was quiet around us as we trudged through the forest. I could feel the squishy mud underneath my hooves. Rarity shuddered. "My eyes need a rest from all this icky muck."

Her wish was granted when the moon coincidently hid behind the tall trees and made everything pitch black. "Well, I didn't mean that literally," she muttered.

"That ancient ruin could be right in front of our faces and wouldn't even know it," said Twilight.

Everyone started complaining and I felt something slid past our legs. I lit my horn and flared it to expand its light. I managed to catch a glimpse of something smoky absorbed into the trees_._

"Oh, thank you dear. I can finally see where I'm going," said Rarity.

_Squish. "_Oh, wait. I think I stepped in something." Applejack glanced down.

"AAHHH!"

Everypony jumped and looked at Fluttershy. Applejack rolled her eyes. "It's just mud." She turned to a tree. "Ahh!"

All the trees around us had deformed faces and growled menacingly. Everyone screamed and I tensed my muscles, ready to attack if they moved. I noticed Pinkie Pie wasn't with us and rapidly searched around. Giggling could be heard and everypony looked up bewildered. And there she was, making funny faces at the stilled trees.

"Pinkie, what are you doing? Run!" yelled Twilight.

She turned to us, still laughing. "Oh, girls, don't you see?"

I was in disbelief that she could be having fun in our situation. I could practically feel the smoke staring at her confused too, especially when the singing started.

_When I was a little filly and_

_The sun was going dow-ow-own_

"Tell me she's not," said Twilight in disbelief. Pinkie popped up above us.

_The darkness and the shadows they_

_Would always make me frow-ow-own_

"She is," Rarity replied like she was use to it.

_I'd hide under my pillow_

_From what I thought I saw_

_But Granny Pie said that wasn't a way_

_To deal with fears at alllll_

"Then what is?" asked Rainbow Dash.

_He said, "Pinkie,_

_You gotta stand up tall_

_Learn to face fears_

_You'll see that they can't hurt you_

_Just laugh to make them disappear"_

_Ha ha ha_

And just like that, a face vanished completely. Everyone gasped. I didn't have any clue how that was possible, unless the spell was designed to be counteracted with laughter.

_Sooo, giggle at the ghostie_

_Guffaw at the grossly_

_Crack up at the creepy_

_Whoop it up with the weepy_

_Chortle at the kooky_

_Snortle at the spooky _

One by one, everypony laughed and made the faces completely disappear. I didn't participate, but I could feel amusement build up inside of me. It was a strange feeling, one that I haven't felt in a long time. One that I didn't know I needed.

_And tell that big, dumb scary face_

_To take a hike and leave you alone_

_And if he thinks he can scare you_

_Then he's got a nothing thing coming_

_And the very idea of such a thing just makes you want to..._

Tears of joy appeared in Pinkie Pie's eyes. "Ahahahaha!!!"

_Lauuugggghhhhhh_

And just like, there was nothing to be afraid of and everypony dropped to the ground laughing their guts out. This sight almost made me want to smile and I realized that as odd as it was, having fun had the power to chase away any kind of fear.

Once they calmed themselves a bit, we continued on the trail with high spirits, Pinkie Pie jumping ahead. She abruptedly stopped, causing them to be budged up. I walked up from behind and eyed the raging river currents.

"Ooooohhh!"

We looked around confused at the distressed call and came upon a large sea serpent with a stylish haircut, bawling his eyes. I blinked. It didn't say in any book that a sea serpent was capable of growing a mustache and a head full of hair. No matter, he was slapping his tail in a rhythmic pattern, creating massive waves and preventing us from crossing.

"What a world! What a world!" He slammed his fists down.

"Excuse me, sir. Why are you crying?" asked Twilight.

"Well, I don't know. I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke just whisked past me and tore both sides of my beloved mustache clean off. And now, I look simply horrid!" He fell back dramatically and splashed us with a wave of water.

"Oh, give me a break," grumbled Rainbow Dash.

"That's what all the fuss is about?" questioned Applejack.

"Why of course it is!" Rarity retorted, looking like a drowned cat. "How can you be so insensitive?" With a huff, she walked toward the creature.

"Oh, just look at him. Such lovely luminescent scales."

He sniffled. "I know."

"And you're expertly coiffed mane."

"Oh, I know, I know!"

"You're fabulous manicure."

He gasped. "It's so true."

"All ruined without your beautiful mustache."

"It's true! I'm hideous!"

I had no idea where this was going, but it seemed like she had everything under control. I thought back to the 'purple smoke' he described and I couldn't help but think that Nightmare Moon was going easy on us. If so, why? If she wanted to she could've just dealt with us herself and be done with it. Instead, she attempted to ensure that we were setback...almost as if she didn't want us to get hurt. I slightly frowned.

I snapped back to reality to see Rarity brandishing a sharp scale like a sword toward the sea serpent and I blinked in surprise. _Ok, that took a drastic turn, _I thought. The others beside me, observed with wide eyes.

Instead of using it as a weapon, she neatly sliced off her own tail. The sea serpent made a show of falling down in defeat, almost as if the slice caused him great pain. Rarity lifted up her tail with her magic and infused it into one side of the mustache.

He jumped with joy. "Oohohoho, my mustache! How wonderfu—wait a sec. " He inspected it with a critical eye. "Now I only have half a mustache. This is a tragedy!" he cried out.

"Oh, dear. I'm afraid I don't hav another tail to complete you're mustache, but perhaps my mane could."

She lifted the scale to her head, but I stopped it with my magic. "You've done enough," I said, looking straight into her eyes.

I took the scale from her grasp and quickly sliced my own tail before anyone could protest. Everypony gaped at me while I lifted my tail and did the same thing as Rarity.

The sea serpent bounced up in delight, looking at both of us with grateful eyes. "Thanks to you both, I have an even better mustache. I'll never forget your generosity. To repay you, I'll gladly help you cross the river."

He dived into the now calm waters and made his body protrude out of it in bumps to be used as stepping stones.

One by one, we crossed over and reached the other side.

"Oh, your beautiful tails," said Twilight, sadly gazing at us.

"It's fine, my dear. Short tails are in this season. Besides, it'll grow back," Rarity reassured.

"Still, it must've been difficult."

"I'd gladly sacrifice my own tail again if it makes others happy."

She then spoke to me with a soft expression. "Now you, darling, didn't have to sacrifice your own. I was fully prepared to give up my hair."

I shook my head. "You've already done more than you should have. As you said, it'll grow back."

"Well, alright I guess. Just know that I'm ever so thankful for you and should you need anything, I'm always here for you darling." She smiled.

I said nothing, but something warm spread inside of me.

We all continued on until the ancient castle was in our sights. Anticipation thrummed in my body.

"There it is. The ruin that holds the Elements of Harmony. We made it!" Twilight ran ahead in excitement.

However, she didn't notice the cliff ahead of her. Before I could do anything, Rainbow Dash flashed to her in a second and pulled her back by her tail. Twilight looked thoroughly shaken up after that ordeal.

"What's with you and falling off cliffs today?" asked Rainbow Dash amusedly.

The rest of us caught up and saw the collapsed bridge. Before I could summon some magic, something shadowy moved out of the corner of my eye.

"Now what?" whined Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow Dash flutter her wings. "Duh."

"Oh yeah."

She flew down and grabbed onto the rope ends of the bridge. Then all of a sudden, the edges of my vision began to fade. I couldn't warn the others as I could no longer control my body and before I knew it, everything turned black. I looked around and although, there wasn't anything to see, I knew exactly where I was.

"My mindscape? Why am I here?"

"Because I want you to."

My blood chilled. I recognized that voice. My muscles tensed as I flared my horn, trying to pinpoint that voice...but there was nothing.

"What are you doing here...Nightmare Moon?"

"Well, I thought we might have a little chat."

"Gladly, but I would rather speak face to face than to a disembodied voice."

A cold laugh. "Alright then."

The darkness ripples and a tall figure came forward, stopping a few feet in front of me. My muscles tensed, but I looked on impassively.

"Now, why did you wish to talk to me?"

Her lips tilted up into a cruel smile. "I want to make you an offer."

I stayed quiet, eyes not revealing anything.

"Darkness clings onto you like a second skin. Your pain and loneliness cries out to me the moment I stepped foot in your mind. I can clearly see that you are powerful in your own right, but by my side, you could become even more powerful." She circled me, observing.

"What do you gain from this?"

"A loyal ally. I do not wish to make you an enemy of mine."

I stayed quiet for a moment. "So, you see me as a threat."

"Well, I wouldn't put it li—"

Newfound strength flowed through me. "Because with me against you, you know that you won't succeed."

She stopped, snarling. "That's rather arrogant of you to assume that you could defeat me."

I stepped forward confidently. "I can't defeat you by myself, but with the girls..."

A step.

"...with the Elements of Harmony..."

Another step.

"...you don't stand a chance."

I took a final step, right in front of her, and leaned forward until we were nose to nose, staring straight into dark, teal eyes. She moved to take a step back, but found her hooves stuck in place.

"How are you—"

"I going to have to say no on that offer."

She glared angrily with a hint of fear.

"Now, I have to ask you to leave."

Waves of magic burst out from me, hitting Nightmare Moon head on. Grunting in pain, she held on for a moment.

"I do hope that you would learn to let go of the past and become who you truly are..."

With a scream, she lost her grip and was forcefully pushed out. The last thing she heard, triggered something deep within her very soul.

"...Princess Luna."

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**3rd Person POV **

Twilight watched anxiously as Rainbow Dash flew down and carried the ends of the bridge to the other side. Out of nowhere, a bodily thump was heard behind the group. Everyone jumped and turned to see one of their own on the ground, eerily still.

Fluttershy was the first one to act as she kneeled beside her and yelled her name. The other ponies gather around the two of them worriedly.

"Can you hear me?! Please, give me a sign if you can hear me?!" asked a panic Fluttershy, shaking her. 

"She's not answering! Quick, check her pulse!" demanded Rarity. 

Everypony agreed and waited apprehensively as Fluttershy did just that. 

A few agonizing seconds later, the yellow mare let out a breathe of relief. "There's a pulse." Everybody relaxed a bit but was still tense. 

The fog thickened around them suddenly and Twilight turned to the direction of the bridge. Her eyes widen as she caught a glimpse of Rainbow Dash talking to three unfamiliar pegasus before the fog blocked her sight.

"Rainbow!" shouted Twilight, running to the cliff.

This caught the attention of the others.

Applejack ran to her. "What happened?!" she asked frantically.

"I saw her talking to these three ponies who looked like darker versions of the Wonderbolts." 

"What?! How is that possible?" 

"I don't know, but if they're baiting her by using the Wonderbolts then we're in trouble." 

She shook her head. "I know her, she wouldn't just give up on her friends."

"I sure hope so."

With Rainbow Dash, she was conflicted with the offer she was given. She had the opportunity to show her awesome skills to all of Equestria, but at the price of her friends. She wasn't stupid. She knew that they were suspicious, given how it was odd there was a team of fliers, resembling the Wonderbolts, representing _the_ Everfree Forest. Also, she couldn't abandon her friends, the ponies who were by her side for a long time. 

She made her final decision. "You..."

The leader smiled smugly before it turned to shock. 

"...thank you for the offer I mean. But I'm afraid I'm gonna have to say no." With that, she flew off, dispersing the fog with her wings and landing in front of her friends. 

They cheered and everypony, sans Fluttershy, ran to meet her. 

"Good job Rainbow," praised Twilight.

"See, I'd never leave my friends hanging." She smiled until her eyes set upon Fluttershy and the unconscious mare. 

She flashed over to the pair, followed by the rest. "Is she ok?"

"We don't know," answered Fluttershy, tear streaks on her face. "She fainted out of the blue and won't wake up." 

Rainbow Dash observed her body and adopted a grim expression. "When was the last time she ate?"

"Umm, I didn't see her eat anything at the party," said Applejack. 

"Yeah, I even offered her tons of food, even a cupcake covered in hot sauce, but she said she wasn't hungry," Pinkie Pie added, surprisingly serious for once.

Rarity cut in, frowing. "I don't think I've ever seen her eaten anything, other than a light snack." 

Rainbow Dash grimaced. "There's the problem. She's not eating enough and her body shuts down cause' of the lack of energy. I have to eat a lot to maintain enough energy for my stunts."

"That makes sense," said Twilight, deep in thought. "her frequent use of magic could also be a part of the reason why she's so weak. Back at town hall, she levitated those guards to safety and I'm not certain of this, but I think she casted a protection barrier around everypony."

"So thats why the lightning bolts never touched anyone. She must have an enormous amount of magic to cast a spell over each pony," said Rarity in awe. 

"That is impressive, but it seems that it's taking a toll on her. I can't conjure up the nutrition she needs but I could replenish her magic enough for her to wake up."

She brought head down so the tips of their horns touched. Concentrating, she began to transfer her own magic to the other mare. This kept going for a few minutes and there was only silence in the air, until...a gasp. 

Everypony let out a breath they didn't know they were holding and smiles appeared all around.

——————————————————

**???'s POV**

I could open my eyes again and the first thing I saw was the moon in full display above me. I stayed still, taking in as much air as I could. Then, the sound of multiple voices talking filled my ears. I regained my senses and saw the girls around me, looking concern. 

"What's going on?" I asked, sitting up with the help of Fluttershy. 

She spoke softly, as if I would break any second. "Take it easy there. You just fainted."

"How are you feeling?" asked Twilight, looking a little tired.

"I'm fine."

"Are ya sure, Sugercube?" Applejack leaned in. "You looked so pale n' all..." 

"Yes, I'm sure." I didn't know where all this worry was coming from, it was unusual. 

"You really need to eat more," interjected Pinkie Pie, "I'll give you an all-you-can-eat buffet once we get back. It'll have cupcakes, fondue, hot sauce, cream puffs and lots, lots more." She leaned close and had a huge smile on her face. 

"Thank you, but it really isn't necessary." There was awkward silence. 

Rarity coughed. "Well dear, I really don't think your well enough to continue." 

I tilted my head. "Why's that?"

"You just fainted!" blurted Rainbow Dash, incredulously. "and you look way to skinny to be healthy."

"All I need is rest and the castle is right in front of us. We just need to grab the elements and go. It's too late to turn back now." 

They all looked at each other. Then, Twilight spoke up. "Well, I guess we could do that, but you're not doing anything strenuous. You need to save your energy for the walk back." They all nodded firmly. 

"Alright." _But if any of you get in trouble, I won't hesitate. _

I stood up fluidly with no signs of exhaustion. Fluttershy stayed close to me, giving me side glances. We all crossed the bridge and went into the ancient castle. And there it was, right in the middle of the room was the Elements of Harmony. Five stone orbs, each with a different image. The only two pegasus flew up and carried each orb safely from their pedestal. 

"Careful, careful," Twilight cautioned.

Soon, all five elements were on the ground and I could feel their extraordinary power.

"One, two, three, four...there's only five," said Pinke Pie.

"Where's the sixth?" Rainbow Dash asked confusedly.

Twilight laid down. "The book said 'when the five are present, a spark will cause a sixth element to be revealed.'"

"What in the hay is that suppose to mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I have an idea. Stand back. I don't know what will happen." She closed her eyes, her horn lighting up.

"Come on now ya'll. She needs to concentrate." One by one, they left the room, but I stayed behind to keep watch.

I felt a dark presence entering the room and saw the purple smoke heading towards Twilight. I ran her and casted a barrier around us.

Twilight opened her eyes in surprise. "Ahh!"

The smoke gathered the elements in a whirlwind, tossing the elements into the air.

"Quick, we have to get to the elements!" That said, she ran straight to the whirlwind with me behind her tail. The gut-wrenching feeling of teleportation told me that Nightmare Moon was separating us from the rest of the group.

We appeared in a cloud of smoke, in another part of the castle. I was up in an instant and flared my horn. Twilight let out a gasp. Nightmare Moon was a few meters in front of us with the elements floating around her. 

Twilight pawed the ground with her front hoof and adopted a determined look.

"You're kidding. You're kidding right?" As if she didn't believe that any pony could be so stupid. 

Twilight lit her horn and strided toward her, while the alicorn did the same. I stayed behind, waiting for the right moment. When they got closer and closer, Twilight activated the same teleportation spell and manage to appeare at the elements. Nightmare Moon skidded to a stop and looked back with surprised. I took that moment to blast her directly into the stone wall off to the side, causing some rubble to fall on her. 

"C'mon, c'mon," Twilight whispered desperately. For a moment it seemed to be working, but she was shot back. I sprinted to her and helped her stand.

"Mwahahahah!" The alicorn rose up from the rubble with few scratches and zoomed to the elements at high speed. She lifted her front hooves and powerfully stomped down, causing the elements to break into pieces.

Twilight had a shattering expression. I took a little step forward, making sure Twilight was behind me.

"You little fools! Thinking you could defeat me. Now you will never see your princess or your Sun. The night will last FOREVER!" She let a out a crazed laugh as she created another vortex over us. 

Suddenly, I heard the shouts of the girls coming up the stairs behind us. Twilight heard the same and I saw a little spark appeared in her eyes. _The spark._

She faced the alicorn confidently. "You think that you can destroy Elements of Harmony just like that? Well, your wrong because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!" 

They came up behind us, ready to fight with no fear whatsoever. The shards around Nightmare Moon came to life and floated up.

"What?"

"Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of honesty.

Fluttershy, who took the time to understand the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of kindness.

Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of laughter.

Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of generosity.

Rainbow dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire, represents the spirit of loyalty. 

And finally, Astoria, who put her friends before herself in every situation and doesn't need an element to prove that she's a friend that you could ever hope for. 

These six ponies got us through every challenge you through at us." The shards surround the five ponies mentioned and each omitting a colored aura.

"You still don't have the sixth element. The spark didn't work." The once intimidating alicorn was overcome with agitation, looking around for an exit. 

"But it did, a different kind of spark," Twilight explained. She turned around. "I felt it the moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside of me when I realize that you all...are my friends."

As the last word left her lips, a light appeared above Twilight to reveal the sixth element. Nightmare Moon blocked the rays with her large wing, surprisingly not attacking us. 

"You see Nightmare Moon," continued Twilight, "those elements are ignited by the...the spark. That resides in the heart of us all. It creates the sixth element...the element of magic." 

The orb shined even brighter and the other elements underwent a startling transformation. The shards surrounding each pony, merged together to create necklaces, each with a gemstone in the shape of their cutie marks on the center. The last orb became a tiara with a six pointed star that sat on Twlight's head.

They floated upwards, forming a circle, and each shot out a color that came together into a magnificent rainbow. Suddenly, a silvery, white aura formed around me and lifted me to the center of the circle. I let out a gasp as the rainbow entered me, rejuvenating me. Everypony gaped in surprise, but soon had large smiles. 

It seemed that I went through some changes as well; large translucent wings grew from my back; on my body appeared a pure white armor with intricate designs all over it and an opal gemstone in the shape of a skull on my chest; lastly, my ombré purple mane and tail became wispy, like smoke. The main thing I noticed above all was the power of the Elements of Harmony flowing through me. 

Instantly, I knew what I had to do. I pointed my elongated horn to Nightmare Moon, who looked quite frighten, and shot a rainbow blast, encasing her in a colorful whirlwind. 

"Nooooooooo!" 

There was a blinding light and then, it was all over. We dropped to the ground. I got up quickly and checked that nopony was hurt. I noticed I was back to my original form, including my tail.

"Ugh, my head," groaned Rainbow Dash. 

"Everypony ok?" asked Applejack. 

"Oh thank goodness!" Rarity was up, bouncing with joy. 

Fluttershy gazed at her necklace. "Why, Rarity, it's so lovely." 

"I know, I'll never part with it again." She hugged her fully grown tail.

"No, your necklace. It looks just like your cutie mark."

She looked at it and back to Fluttershy. "So does yours."

They all looked at their respected elements. 

Pinkie Pie hopped up excitedly to Applejack. "Look at mine, look at mine."

"Aw yeah," said Rainbow Dash.

Twilight stepped up to me and asked curiously, "how come the Elements of Harmony reacted to you too."

Rainbow Dash appeared in front of me and proceeded to gush about my transformation. "Yah! You had wings and a wicked-looking armor and you shot a huge rainbow like that was so awesome!"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure."

Twilight spoke up with a fond smile. "It doesn't matter why it happened. All the matters is that without you, we wouldn't have been able to defeat Nightmare Moon. Together, we represent the Elements of Harmony." 

"Indeed you do," said a melodious voice.

We all turned to the window that showed the sun rising. A ball of light fell onto the floor and revealed to be a tall pink-coated alicorn with flowing hair of green, blue, and pink. On her flank was a golden sun. We all bowed in respect.

"Princess Celestia." Twilight trotted forward and hugged her. 

"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. I knew you could do it." 

"But you told me it was all an old pony tale."

"I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her, but you could not unleash until you let true friendship into your heart." 

_How did she foresaw this? _I thought. 

"Now if only another will as well..."

We all looked back to the pony who started it all. She was in a pitiful state. Her armor was broken into pieces, edges still smoking, and she laid on the ground in defeat. She looked smaller and frail, so unlike the intimidating figure before. 

The princess stepped toward and gave her a stern look. "Princess Luna. It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together little sister."

"Sister?" the girls exclaimed in surprise. 

"Will you accept my friendship?" 

Everypony leaned forward with anticipation, while Pinkie Pie fell forward. I just stared at the smaller alicorn, hoping she would agree. She looked past her older sister and made eye contact, as if silently asking what she should do. I soften my expression and nodded my head. 

She looked back to her sister and ran into her embrace. "I'm so sorry! I missed you so much big sister." 

They hugged tightly with tears in their eyes. "I've missed you too."

At that moment, Pinkie Pie blowed her nose and comically let out a fountain of tears, before switching back to her usual self. "Hey! You know what this calls for? A party!" 

The girls cheered and Princess Celestia laughed. "A celebration is a wonderful idea. We should head back to Ponyville and inform the citizens of our arrival."

They bowed once more and made their way down the stairs with Pinkie Pie in the lead. I made to follow them but a voice called me back. I turned around and faced the two princesses. 

"Yes your highness." 

"What is your name?" asked Princess Luna. 

"...Astoria Nightshade." 

"Well, Astoria, you have my deepest gratitudes."

I tilted my head. "For what?" 

"You reminded me of who I am and gave me the will to fight back against Nightmare Moon." 

I shook me head. "You must be mistaken. The girls were most responsible." 

"Ahh, but back in the mindscape, your last words to Nightmare Moon reached deep inside of her, to me. It gave me the strength remember my true self and weakened her enough for you and your friends to finish her off. If you hadn't, she wouldn't have hesitated to blast all of you into oblivion. And for that, I thank you."

Princess Celestia spoke up. "You have my thanks as well. I saw how you did everything you can to protect others around you, regardless of your own safety. I can also see that you have been lonely for a long time and I hope that your new friends will be able to fill that hole in your heart. Should you be need of our assistance, you are free to ask us." 

My face displayed nothing, but inside, I was frozen in shock. I could barely remember last time I was praised so highly and what I did remember brought a bitter taste in my mouth. In a neutral tone, I said, "thank you, princesses, for those kind words, but the others deserve your praise, not me. I did what any pony would do. Now, I believe that we have a party to get to."

The two sisters exchanged a quick glance, but agreed nonetheless. Soon, we reached the the six ponies, who were waiting just outside the castle. Together, we trekked back to Ponyville and received a celebratory welcome. Pinkie Pie brought out a canon out of nowhere and blasted confetti into the air, causing the citizens of Ponyville shout louder. I internally cringe, but ignored it as usual. 

Reaching the center of town, the ponies gathered around the two princesses and bowed deeply. Two pegasus fillies, put a flower wreath on Princess Luna, lifting her spirits a bit. Spike greeted Twilight with a huge hug. 

I was happy to see such a splendid sight, but I stood a distance away from them. However, Rainbow Dash wrapped her front leg around my neck. 

"C'mon Ghostie. We're friends now. You shouldn't be standing alone by yourself." 

I blink. "Ghostie?"

"Yah, you as pale as a ghost and your cutie mark has a skull on it. Also, I've been calling you Ghostie in my head for a long time now." 

Before I could say anything, she pulled me to the other mares and made sure I couldn't escape from her grasp. I just sighed and forced my breathing to slow down. To the side, I saw Twilight looking a little glum. 

Princess Celestia came up to her and asked, "why so glum, my faithful student? Are you not happy that your quest is complete and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?"

She looked at each of us. "That's just it. Just when I learned how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them."

As if expecting this, she said, "Spike, take a note please." He swiftly got out a scroll and quill. "I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville."

The girls were filled with joy and surrounded Twilight in a hug while I just stood beside them, with a soft expression. But it seemed that I wasn't forgotten and was immediately dragged into the hug. I just sighed and mentally counted from ten.

"Oh, thank you, Princess Celestia. I'll study harder than ever before," promised Twilight.

More cheering ensued and the party went on for the rest of the day. Sitting under the shade of a tree, I watched the celebration carry on with pure joy within me. I wished this moment could last forever. I wish that this was the end of all my worries.

But, reflecting back, I knew that this was only the beginning of something much bigger...something much darker. I couldn't help but ask myself, _Why do I keep torturing myself? Why do I always give myself a false hope? _Looking back to the girls, I knew my answer. _Because the chance to feel even the tiniest bit of happiness and love is always worth the risk of any pain and heartache. _

As if sensing my gaze, Pinkie Pie waved over to me and shouted, "ASTORIA! COME OVER HERE! DONT THINK I FORGOT ABOUT YOUR BUFFET AND THERE'S EVEN GONNA BE ICE CREAM CAKE!"

Amused, I walked over to my friends, the ones who began to heal the hole in my heart. 

——————————————————

**Author's Note**

**Here it is. This one was longer than the last and probably has a lot of mistakes. I hope you enjoyed it and don't be afraid to leave a comment or review or something. Just give me some feedback on things I need to improve because I feel like I'm pushing the story to fast.**

**Also, I'm gonna take a long time to update cus this app is impossible right now. When I save my documents, it changes the format or spacing and I can't do anything about it. When I can properly save again, I'll modify this chapter to a better one so you can read it properly.**

**Until the next update.**


	4. Ticket Master

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in MLP except for my own OC.**

**I'm sorry this new chapter took a while, but I do have a life, not saying that you guys don't have a life, and uhh well I'm dealing with stuff right now. **

**Anyway, all that matters is that this is a new chapter and hopefully it would be better than the last three chapters cus I was looking back and I couldn't help but cringe at my bad writing. Heh now you know I'm not a writer. **

**Alright, enjoy.**

**——————————————————**

**ASTORIA'S POV**

_I was running. I didn't know why or where. All I knew was that I had to get away. There was only the darkness ahead of me, but I had a sense of urgency to run away from whatever was behind me. My legs ached fiercely and my heart was beating out of my chest. Whispers were filling my head, calling out in anguish and rage. _

_"...You did this..."_

_"...It's all your fault..."_

_"...You don't deserve to live..."_

_"..Why can't you just die?!"_

_Clawed hands grabbed from behind, dragging me back roughly. Their icy touches made me feel unimaginable pain, sucking the life out of me. I scratched the ground uselessly, tears pooling down my face and my mouth open in a silent scream, desperate to escape._

_Then, the shadows consumed me. What I saw next made my heart stop. There were bodies all around for miles, mutilated beyond recognition, yet I knew exactly who they were. There was something sticky on my hands. Looking down, I saw a dark red stain...it was blood, still thrumming with life._

_It was too much for me. My knees hit the ground with a thud and violent tremors racked through my body as I felt myself lose control, thoughts running around chaotically._

_It was all my fault...I don't deserve to live...I deserve to suffer...who would notice if I was out of the picture...who would care...no one...absolutely no one..._

_These mangled corpses mocked me with their soulless eyes. Thick black tears flowed down my face and neck as I curled myself into a ball. I wanted to disappear. I wanted to die._

_A dark figure appeared out of the shadows, raising a magnificent scythe over me. I forced myself to look up and face the inevitable. I felt at peace._

_The scythe was brought down in a quick swipe and..._

GASP!

I sat up frantically, sheets spread out haphazardly around me. My body was shaking and sweaty and tears were still trailing down my face. The only sound was my sobbing gasps that seemed to echo in my small room as I desperately tried to compose myself. This went on for awhile before I finally managed to blank my mind and drag myself to the bathroom.

A pale, disheveled mare stared back at me through the mirror. My hair was a frazzled mess, tear tracks stained my face, and dark circles showed prominently under my bloodshot eyes. I looked like death.

I decided to take a shower to clear my thoughts. But, as I stood there, I couldn't get it out of my head. It was by far the worst nightmare I ever had since I moved here and that didn't bode well. After the ordeal with Nightmare Moon, memories came flooding back to me more and more as time went on. I hated it.

I turned the shower off with a sigh and got out to dry off. My day started off like usual, even though it was still a little bit dark out with a peak of light at the horizon. I went to get some coffee, but on the way, I saw Twilight and Spike walking about. _Why would they be out this early? _I thought.

With a mental shrug, I continued on, but they noticed me. Ignoring them now would be rude so I waited patiently as they made their way.

"Good morning, Astoria," greeted Twilight.

"Good morning."

"Why are you out so early?"

"Yeah, I would've been sleeping like a rock at this time, but Twilight here wanted to go help Applejack at the farm," said a grumpy Spike.

"I woke up early and was on my way to get coffee."

"Oh, I'll get something to eat as well. After all, I'm gonna be working the whole morning," said Twilight.

I nodded. "Alright then."

We went to a cafe that was open and made our orders. While we waited, Twilight asked, "would you like to help me and Applejack at the farm? Assuming that you're free."

I tilted my head. "What will you two be doing?"

She smiled. "Oh, we'll just be harvesting apples."

Well, it was still early and Mayor Mare wouldn't be up, so I said, "I guess I'll come."

After finishing up, we headed off to Sweet Apple Acres. Upon our arrival, I could see Applejack already bucking some trees. It was quite impressive how much strength she had in her hind legs.

"Hey, Applejack!" called Twilight.

The orange mare turned around and spotted us heading her way. "Mornin' you three," said Applejack.

"Sorry we're a little bit late. We went to grab coffee first and I offered Astoria here to help, cus I figured you needed all the help you can get."

"Great, now we'll be able to finish lickety-split and have plenty of time to grab lunch."

Spike groaned. "Can't we eat now?"

Twilight laughed. "You're gonna have to wait like the rest of us, Spike."

He gave a small pout, making Applejack and Twilight chuckle. Then, we got to work. I watched how Applejack leaned on her front legs and put all the strength to her hind legs. Looking back at the tree in front of me, I did the same as Applejack and surprisingly, most of the apples fell down instantly.

"Hoowee! I reckon we'll be done in no time," shouted Applejack.

This was a good way to get me into shape, not to mention keep my mind off things. Ever since Nightmare Moon, I realized that I didn't exercise much in this body. There was no doubt that there were more challenges ahead and I needed to be ready to face against all odds.

———————————————————

**A FEW HOURS LATER**

As we were walking back with the last batch, I couldn't help but think that the mayor probably didn't notice I was absent. The thought made me sigh internally, but also relieved. The two mares in front were making idle chatter so I took the time to observe the beautiful orchard.

"Thank you kindly, you two, for helping me out. I bet Big Macintosh I could get all these golden delicious in the barn by lunch time." She had an excited look on her face. "If I win, he's gonna walk down Stirrup Street in one of Granny's girdles."

I didn't know whether to be amuse or disturbed by that image.

Twilight smiled. "No problem at all, Applejack. I'm glad the goal is by lunchtime. All this hard work is making me hungry."

"I know right?" Spike interrupted, accidentally tossing an apple on her head.

She looked back annoyed. "Oh-hee, Spike. You've been lounging on my back all morning while we worked."

"Exactly. You three were taking so long, I missed snack time."

A deep gurgled emitted from Twilight's stomach. She gave a weak chuckle and glanced at me. "I guess we better get some food. I bet you're starving with the way you were bucking those apple trees. You kick almost as hard as Applejack."

"It took some practicing," I replied.

"Aha!"

We turned back Spike when he held up a large, ripe apple. It almost got my stomach growling at the sight of it.

Twilight stared at it hungrily, licking her lips. "Oh, Spike! That looks delicious."

He opened his mouth, ready to bite into it. I quickly took hold of the apple with my magic and hovered it away from the greedy dragon.

"Wouldn't it be better to share it with the rest of us Spike. After all, we worked hard all morning," I shot the dragon a dry look.

Twilight gave me a thankful nod before turning to Spike. "Astoria's right, Spike. I think you ate enough during the time we were here."

He adopted a sheepish look. "Alright, alright. We'll share it." He crossed his arms with a _hmph._

Twilight and Applejack grinned in amusement, while I just shook my head. Suddenly, the little dragon looked nauseous and spat some green fire that transformed into a scroll. I stared at it curiously. I've never heard of dragon fire being capable of sending messages.

"It's a letter from Princess Celestia," said Twilight.

Spike cleared his throat and spoke in a dignified tone. "Hear ye, year ye. Her grand royal highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce the Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the magnificent capital city of Canterlot on the 21st day of...yada yada yada...cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle plus one guest."

The apple now forgotten, Twilight and Applejack gasped in amazement. "The Grand Galloping Gala!"

I shifted my expression to a bored one. I didn't understand why ponies got so excited over this one event. After all, only ponies of elite class—who were probably snobbish and arrogant—would be there. Based on my experiences, it would be utterly boring. It was only about making a good appearance and political talking.

Spike clearly shared my distaste and pretended to barf as the two mares giggled. Once more, he breathe out fire and revealed two golden tickets.

He quickly grabbed them. "Look, two tickets!"

"Wow, great! I've never been to the gala. Have you Spike, Astoria?" asked Twilight.

He made a grumpy expression. "No. And I plan to keep it that way. I don't want any of that girl, frilly, frou-frou nonsense."

I nodded. "Its not really my style."

"Aww, cmon, guys. A dance would be nice."

Suddenly, Applejack popped up behind her, startling the purple mare a bit. "Nice? It's a heap good more than just nice. I'd love to go."

It was a little surprising to me that a down-to-earth, country mare like Applejack would actually want to go to such a formal and prestigious event.

"Land's sakes! If I had an apple stand set up, ponies would chawing on our tasty vittles till the cows came home. Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres? Why, with all that money, we could do a heap of fixin' up 'round here..."

Now that made more sense. So, Applejack wanted to raise money for her family and the business. It was honestly a good reason to go to the gala. I had to commend her for that. But, with the way she was daydreaming, it was clearly an obsession of hers for some time. I just hope it wouldn't cloud her judgement.

"...why, I'd give my hind leg to go to that gala."

Twilight gave a bright smile. "Oh, well in that case—"

"Woah!"

A blue blob dropped from the sky and crashed right on top of Applejack and Twilight, causing apples to fly. I just floated them back to the baskets, not even surprised at Rainbow Dash's intrusion. To be honest, it was half-expected.

Not noticing the burning glares from underneath her, the pegasus perked up with barely contained excitement. "Are we talking about the Grand Galloping Gala?"

"Rainbow Dash," scolded Applejack, "you told me that your were too busy to help me harvest apples. What were you busy doing? Spying?"

Looking between the two, I could see an argument coming on and over a ticket no less. It was unbelievable how two of the most non-girly ponies ever wanted to go to the gala. Listening to Rainbow Dash fantasize about showing off in front of the Wonderbolts was getting old and I really wanted to get away from this conversation.

Then, as if the heavens heard me, Twilight gave a flimsy excuse about being hungry and was walking away with Spike. I trotted to catch up them, but I couldn't help but feel two pairs of suspicious eyes glaring at my back. That almost made me sweat-drop.

When I was beside her, Twilight turned her worried gaze on me. "You're not gonna ask me to give you the ticket right?"

I just responded with a deadpan look.

She chuckled. "Of course, you don't care about the gala do you?"

With a shake of my head, I said "It would be a waste of time."

"Why? I thought everypony wanted to go," Spike asked curiously.

I shrugged. "I just don't like these type of things."

Twilight just gave me an unreadable glance when I said that before looking back at Spike when he spoke.

"So, who you gonna give the ticket to, Twilight?"

A tired sigh came out of her. "I don't know, Spike, but I really can't think straight when I'm hungry. So, where should we eat? Any ideas Astoria?"

"Well—"

A rattling sound came from the door next to us when we were about to past Sugercube Corner and I automatically took a step back. Twilight shot me a bemused look and BAM. A pink speed demon shot out of the door way and straight into her and Spike, crashing them to the ground. The tickets floated down like leaves onto Pinkie Pie's snout.

"Ugh, could you please warn us next time?" Twilight croaked.

I rubbed the back of my head. "Sorry, Twilight."

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie screamed at the top of her lungs and ran around as if the devils were chasing her. "Ahh! Bats! Bats on my face! Help! Wait!"

She stared at the golden tickets at Spike's feet with such awe that stars appeared in her eyes. "These aren't tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala?!"

And with that, she rave on and on about how awesome the gala was. I just created a pair of earplugs and calmly tuned the crazy mare out, especially when she started singing. Yup, just a normal day in Ponyville. I offered some to Spike and he gladly accepted.

Pinkie Pie bounced around as if she was on a sugar high and I swore I saw thousands of streamers dropping down out of nowhere. I rubbed my eyes and thought, _Man, I shouldn't have gotten out of bed today._

Pinkie Pie hopped over to Twilight and gave her a huge smile. "Oh, thank you, Twilight. It's the most wonderfullest gift ever."

Twilight averted her eyes uncomfortably.

I banished the earplugs and walked over to the pair. "Twilight hasn't decided who she'll take yet. Maybe you should give her some space and time to decide."

That bright smile turned upside down in a blink of an eye and she gave me such a big stink eye that I could clearly see the suspicion within. It did nothing to wipe the neutral expression of my face, but I was internally sighing with exasperation.

"We should probably go now," whispered Twilight.

I nodded. Twilight, Spike, and I turned away from the frowning mare, only to face another problem: Rarity.

The classy mare gave a dramatic gasp at the tickets in Spike's claws. "Are these what I think they are?"

The little dragon looked at her nervously. "Uhhh..."

"Yes, yes, yes," Twilight said exasperately, "it's the tickets to the gala in Canterlot."

"The gala? I design ensembles for the gala every year. But I've never had the opportunity to attend. Oh, the society, the culture, the glamour. It's where I truly belong and where I'm destined to meet him." She giggled.

"Him!" Pinkie Pie cheerfully shouted before confusion settled in, "uhh, who?"

Then, Rarity had a glazed look on her face and, like the others, she slipped into a dream-like state. She rattled on about finding her dream prince at the gala. I was beginning to get fed up, but I didn't interrupt because there was no point.

Although, a spark of curiosity lit up when she talked about Princess Celestia's nephew. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. _Weren't the princesses over a thousand years old, _I thought, _if so, how is it possible to have a nephew? Did they have another sibling? Was the nephew as old as they were? Or was he just a descendent of their family?_

In the end, I just batted away the thoughts to save myself the headache. After all, it was none of my business. I brought my attention back to the current conversation.

"Twilight," Rarity exclaimed with a pout, "how could you invite Pinkie Pie to _party _and prevent me from meeting my true love. How could you? Hmph."

All of a sudden, I spotted a small, white blur hopping towards the tickets. I swiftly took action and levitated the tickets up high. Unfortunately, this gave the wrong impression to others. Both Pinkie Pie and Rarity glared at me in anger and Fluttershy, lifting a white bunny after his failed attempt, looked at me in betrayal.

Their eyes were bringing up unpleasant memories and I hastily shoved them away. I exhaled a breath of relief when Twilight came to my rescue as I gave the tickets back to Spike.

"Uhh, listen guys. I haven't decided on who to give the extra ticket to yet," said Twilight uneasily.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie quickly spun around. "You haven't?!" they shouted with high hopes.

"Um, excuse me, Twilight," a quiet voice called out. We all turned back to the shy pegasus. "I would just like to ask, I mean, if it would be alright, if you haven't given it to someone else—"

"You?! You want to go to the gala?" Rarity asked incredulously.

"Oh, no," her pet bunny, Angel, tapped her leg, "I mean, yes or, actually, kinda. You see..."

At this point, I discretely bumped Twilight and gave her a let's-get-away gesture. Her eyes widen in realization and did the same thing with Spike. All three of us carefully backed away into another road and just when we thought we were in the clear, a familiar shout was heard.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?!"

We looked up to see Rainbow Dash above us. Her shout alerted the other mares and they ran to us, like a stampede of crazed fans. We sprinted to try and get away, with Spike barely hanging on to Twilight's tail. Turning a corner, I spotted an alley up ahead. I pulled the other unicorn into it and hid underneath a few crates.

The sound of clattering hooves and flapping wings past by the alley. We waited a few more seconds before finally coming out.

"Whew, I think we lost them," whispered Twilight in relief.

I narrowed my eyes. "Not for long."

"What are we gonna to do? We can't avoid them forever," Spike whispered frantically.

An idea popped into my head and I flared my horn. I encased myself in a thin layer of magic and two gasps were heard a few seconds later.

"Woah, that is so cool," Spike whispered in astonishment.

Twilight gazed at my general direction in amazement. "What kind of spell is that?"

"A camoflouge spell," I responded, keeping an ear out, "I spread my magic all over my body and made it mimic my surroundings."

The unicorn was now gazing at me like a filly would to her idol. "Wow, surrounding your whole body with magic is pretty advance and to replicate your surrounding as you move is incredible. Where did you learn this?"

There was nothing but silence for a bit until there was the sound of clomping hooves in the distance. I quickly said, "No time to explain. I'll put the same spell on you so you'll be able to hide as well. But, just to warn you, this might feel weird."

I shuffled over to them and tapped my horn on their heads. From top to bottom, they began to disappear and they shivered as it progressed. When the spell was complete, they looked down at their bodies in wonder.

"Woah, I can't even see my own head. Hey, Twilight, can you guess what face I'm making."

Twilight laughed. "Umm, is it the I'm-a-ferocious-dragon-and-all-should-fear-me face you wear all the time when posing in front of the mirror."

"I do not!"

Even though I couldn't see him, I could tell he was blushing with embarrassment. I stared in their direction for a while before focusing back on the current situation.

"Alright guys, even though the spell makes us practically invisible, there're still some flaws. One, your shadows will still appear so stick to the shade. Two, you are still tangible so avoid contact with other ponies and objects. And three, you can still be heard so keep your voices down to a minimum. Got it?"

"Got it." they replied seriously.

"And Spike, could you please send the tickets back to Princess Celestia for safe-keeping?"

He saluted and swiftly did his task.

"Let's go to the Clover Restaurant. You guys didn't have lunch yet. I'll disable the spell once we get there."

They made a noise of agreement and the three of us set off.

——————————————————

**THIRD PERSON POV **

In a other part of town, six mares were searching high and low for Twilight, more specifically the tickets. Rainbow Dash was using her wings and speed as an advantage and quickly lost the others.

"Hehe, I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when Twilight picks me to go to the gala," she snickered deviously. "Some pranks will make sure they won't lay a hoof on _my _ticket."

The rambunctious pony spotted Applejack below her and smirked. "Let's have some fun."

Applejack was sprinting through the streets, keeping an eye out for her competitors. A flash of purple with colored stripes quickly disappeared around a corner. She grinned evilly. _I got you now._

She picked up speed and turned the corner sharply, unknowingly stepping into a trip wire. A large pie with tons of whipped cream came towards so fast that she didn't even have time to dodge before get a face full of white fluff.

"Argh!" she yelled as she fell to the ground.

A roaring laugh came from above her and Applejack looked up angrily. "Rainbow Dash," she growled.

"Hahaha! You should see your face! Priceless!" The still chortling pegasus zipped away, but not before taking a picture.

Applejack wiped away the whipped cream and glared in the direction where Rainbow Dash went. _Oh, it's on._

While she was plotting, she failed to take notice of three shadows running past her. Or the sound of stifled giggles getting farther and farther away.

—————————————————————

Rarity was having no luck in finding the missing trio and was ready to give up.

"Ugh, where could two ponies and a cute baby dragon be? I mean it's not hard to spot Spike in a small town of ponies. Maybe I should just call it a day," she grumbled to herself.

Then, she thought about her future prince and the sad puppy look on his face that could warm the coldest of hearts. Instantly, her eyes lit up with fire.

"No, I will not give up and I will get my future husband if it's the last thing I do," she said with determination.

But then, at that moment, she noticed how dirty her hooves were and and let out a gasp in absolute horror. "Oh no, no, no, a lady must hold a proper appearance first and foremost."

A cloud in the sky followed her lazily.

She arrived at the spa/beauty salon shortly after a few minutes walk and asked for her 'usual'. The spa ponies, Lotus and Aloe Blossom, immediately understood and led her to a changing room. A second later, an inconspicuous Rainbow Dash entered with a bottle of hair dye and a cheshire grin on her face. she went to the hair washing station and switch the shampoo with the hair dye.

Rainbow Dash let out an cackle and rubbed her front hooves together. "This'll keep Rarity distracted for a while."

With that, she left silently as if she was never there.

————————————————————

Pinkie Pie was in full detective mode, magnifying glass and everything, but it did little in helping on her search for Twilight, Astoria, and Spike. It was like they disappeared into thin air. But, she wasn't Pinkie Pie if she gave up so easily.

After a while of searching for clues, she decided to change tactics. She hopped up with her normal buoyancy and bounced over to the few ponies walking by.

Appearing between two ponies, she questioned them in serious tone. "Hey, have you seen two unicorns, purple and pale blue, and a little purple and green dragon pass by?"

"Uhh, no. Sorry Pinkie," one replied.

"Actually, I think I saw the three you described running by as if their life depended on it," the other said thoughtfully.

Pinkie went up close and personal in a blink of an eye and held the poor mare in place with her forelegs. "Where did they go?" she asked with deathly calm, staring with a crazed look in her eyes.

The mare sweat nervously and mouthed _help_ to her other friend, desperate to get away from the usually peppy party pony. Her friend just backed away and shook her head saying, _I love you, but you're on your own._

The trapped mare glared at her friend with a betrayed look before turning back to Pinkie. "Umm, well," she started weakly, "I saw them go into an alley but never came out. In that direction." She pointed to to the right.

Pinkie let out a triumphant shout. "That means they might still be there hiding. Thanks a lot."

She dashed off with a speed worthy of a Wonderbolt and checked every alley and dead end she passed. _That ticket's gonna be mine. _But, after searching through every last one in Ponyville, there was still no sign of them.

Realizing that she was back to square one, she turned to her previous tactic and asked around. When she was asking—more like interrogating—a nervous store owner, a shadow went pass at the corner of her eye. Her curiosity got the best of her and the mare followed where the shadow had gone. She landed on another street, which was mysteriously empty.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," she sang as she bounced, "If you come out I'll give you a huge chocolate cake."

A growl came from the side and she turned sharply to face...nothing. "Huh?" She scratched her head in confusion. There was only dust in the air.

There was still a growling noise and faint thumping, but it was rapidly getting farther away. _Oh no, you don't, _she thought. A chase had begun and she wasn't about to lose because this party pony does not give up. Pinkie Pie took out her weapons; pies filled to the brim with whipped cream. She even had a pie launcher on her back. Ponies quickly got out of the way in a panic, lest they get hit with a flying dessert.

"Get back here you mysterious shadow thingy!" she shouted, shooting a pie.

"Quick, she's gaining on us!" a familiar voice cried out. A _really _familiar voice.

_Gotcha, _she smirked. A pie was launched and she watched as it landed on something invisible, knocking it to the ground. Two voices called out in alarm but she paid them no mind. She got a huge net out of nowhere and swung down at the groaning, floating mess of a pie. But, a silver magical aura formed around the figure and harshly pulled it away from her.

The mare faceplanted onto the ground and looked up spitting dirt. "Hey, no fair, Astoria! That's cheating!"

Spike, at least she assumed it was Spike, was still floating away from her and quickly disappearing. Pinkie Pie got up and raced toward him, but lost him at an intersection where a large crowd was in the way.

The pink devil stomped her hoof. "You won't be getting away next time! You hear me?!" she swore into the sky.

Ponies around stared at her weirdly, but chalked it off as same old Pinkie Pie.

————————————————————

**ASTORIA'S POV**

Miraculously, we managed to reach the Clover Resteraunt with little difficulty after the fiasco with Pinkie Pie. Honestly, that was terrifying. Never approach a Pinkie Pie on the hunt. Ever.

We were all panting after that run and I released the camouflage spell we were under, scaring a stallion nearby, and banished the remaining whipped cream off of Spike.

"I never want to be chased by Pinkie Pie ever again," Spike gasped out, sweat pouring down his face. "Honestly, a party pony like her could scare the living daylights out of any pony."

Twilight held a hoof to her chest, taking deep gulps of air. "Tell me about it. I've never run that fast in my life."

I decided to speak up before we wasted anymore time, gazing around with a keen eye. "Let's take a rest and have some lunch. We can figure out what to do after."

Twilight smiled tiredly, her stomach growling once again. "That's the best idea I've heard all day."

Unfortunately, we were unable to get a table inside, so we had to stay at a table in broad daylight.

Laying her head on the table, Twilight gave a defeated sigh. "Spike, Astoria, what am I gonna do? I can't keep running away forever? And all five of my best friends have really good reasons to go to the gala."

She started picking at the flowers in the vase on the table. "Oh, who should go with me?"

A waiter came by and asked for our order. I was about to give me answer, but Twilight let out a frustrated yell.

"UGH, I CAN'T DECIDE!"

"Twilight, he just wants to get your order," said Spike, pointing at the menu.

The mare had a sheepish look and told the waiter her order. I got the same as hers and Spike asked for rubies, but received a frown instead, so he settled with hay fries, extra crispy.

"Ugh, what do you think, guys?" Twilight asked worriedly.

Spike, however, was having his own concerns. "I think we need to try another restaurant. I mean, I like grass just fine but would it kill anybody to have some gemstones."

"Ponies don't digest gemstones like you, Spike," I said. He just playfully stuck his tongue at me.

Twilight glared at us. "I mean about the gala and the ticket and who I should take."

I tried to calm Twilight down before she got into a meltdown because of her indecision. "Nobody said you had to give your answer straight away. In the end, it's your choice and everyone will just have to accept. Even if they might disagree."

While my words were meant to be reassuring, they were anything but. The unicorn next to me looked even more frazzled and glowered at me as if I dumped a boulder onto her already fragile shoulders. This just proved my social skills were atrocious, but you can't blame me, being alone for so long will do that to any pony.

Spike looked at her unconcern. "You're still going on about that."

Twilight stood up abruptly. "Listen! How do I choose? And when I do choose will the other four be mad at me? I mean I could give up my ticket and give away two, but that would still leave Three disappointed ponies. What if I—"

The waiter interrupted her just in time and distracted with the plate in front of her. "Ah, your food."

He did the same for the rest of us and we gave our thanks. Glancing down at my sandwich, I couldn't help but notice my hunger. That was surprising since I rarely felt hungry most of the time.

As Twilight lifted her own sandwich up to her mouth, the ponies around us flocked to the restaurant. I just noticed the dark clouds above, including the suspicious hole above our table where sunlight peaked through.

_Oh no, _I thought dejectedly, _and we were just about to eat._

The waiter asked us if we were going to eat in the rain.

"It's not raining," Twilight said confused.

As soon as the last word left her mouth, pouring rain appeared out of nowhere, with the exception of our table.

We all turned our heads up to see one of our problems, Rainbow Dash.

"Hi, there, best friend forever I've ever, ever had," the colorful mare said innocently, while obviously giving me a nasty look that made my soul twist.

With a suspicion clear on her face, Twilight began to question Rainbow Dash's actions. Meanwhile, I started to plan for a way out of this without attracting the attention of the pegasus. Luckily, Twilight managed to convince Rainbow Dash that her efforts were futile and the sour mare closed the hole in the clouds that kept them dry.

I conjured an umbrella above us, but not fast enough to stop us _and _the food from getting wet. In less than a second, we were soaked to the bone.

Coincidently, Fluttershy passed by wearing a raincoat. "Oh, you guys shouldn't be put in the rain or you'll get a fever. You can stay at my place until the rain stop."

She said all this with such a genuine smile on her that it would be almost impossible to resist. The normally shy pony didn't really gave us much of a choice and dragged Twilight in the direction of her home, even though it was at at the edge of the town. Spike and I struggled to follow them with how surprisingly fast she was going.

When Fluttershy's cottage was in view, we made haste in getting inside. I spelled myself dry and did the same to Twilight and Spike, which they were grateful for.

Fluttershy gave us a closed-eyed smile. "Sit, sit please. I'll make some tea to warm us up."

Observing the place, I clearly felt the homey feel, despite the large quantity of animals gathered. I sat on the armchair that was close to the door while the other two took the couch. A bear of all things laid his, I think it's a male, head on the arms of the chair and I awkwardly petted his head, not knowing what else to do. This only prompted more animals to cuddle up against me, much to my chagrin.

Twilight had an amused twinkle in her eyes and was chuckling behind her hoof. "Having fun there, Astoria?"

"Plenty," I replied drier than a desert.

A moment later Fluttershy came by holding a tray of teacups and a teapot. I thanked her as I levitated mine, but she barely took noticed. Instead, she asked if Twilight wanted anything else and sat close, buttering her up.

"So, Twilight, what do you think of my animals?" Fluttershy asked casually.

Oblivious, Twilight responded as if they weren't trying to avoid everyone right now. "Oh, they're pretty cool. I had no idea you had such a diversity of animals."

"Well, I've always loved animals and I consider them friends of mine. Here, this is Hummingway." The kind pegasus held up a hummingbird on her hoof.

"Awww, he's so tiny," Twilight gushed.

I stayed silent sipping my tea, waiting for Fluttershy to slip up. Any moment now.

"I know right. Imagine more adorable animals you'll get to see in the gardens at the gala. I can introduce you to them if you take me with you..."

And there it was.

That snapped Twilight out of her reverie. "Wait, you're just trying to convince me to take you to the Grand Galloping Gala aren't you?"

The yellow mare spluttered in denial, but the damage was done. I sighed—which I seemed to be doing a lot of today—and stood up to get ready to leave, rousing up the animals.

"Well, that's not gonna work," Twilight exclaimed angrily, "you're just gonna have to wait for my decision just like everyone else."

With that said, she stormed out with a huff. I carried Spike on my back and followed her, but not before giving Fluttershy a look of disappointment, which caused her to look down. I honestly thought she wouldn't be selfish enough to try and manipulate Twilight into giving her the ticket. However, her cunning was mildly impressive.

"Is it that hard to get some lunch without something getting in the way," the purple unicorn complained.

"Apparently." Both Spike and I responded at the same time.

Suddenly, Applejack appeared out of thin air with a boatload of food. I couldn't help but let out an internal groan, my patience now gone, and teleported all three of us to the library.

I stood with a small step out of place, likely due to my low energy today, and Twilight wobbled slightly, but better since her last teleportation trip. Spike, however, landed unceremoniously on his bottom and a little bit charred.

"Ugh, a little warning would be helpful," Spike suggested, tenderly rubbing his bottom.

"Sorry."

"But thanks anyway. Knowing me, I would've blown my head off," Twilight said with a laugh, before her face turned to one of horror.

I only spun halfway around before I was pushed back by a crowd of ponies and landed painfully on my back. Getting up, I saw Pinkie Pie and her own merry band throwing Twilight in the air repeatedly outside the library while she sang a song.

_Twilight is my bestest friend_

_Whoopee, Whoopee_

Twilight was deathly calm as she was thrown up. "Pinkie—"

_She's the cutest, smartest, all-around best pony, pony_

"Pinkie—"

I braced myself with some ear plugs.

_I bet if I throw a super-duper fun party, party_

"Pinkie—"

Spike asked for some and I conjured a pair for him.

_She'll give her extra ticket to the gala to meeee_

And finally...

"PINKIE!!!"

That caused every pony to take a huge step back, letting Twilight fall to the ground with a _thump. _

The Pinkie Pie had the guts to blink her _innocent_ doe eyes at the downed mare. "Yes, Twilight?"

The unicorn sat up with an infuriated scowl, making me almost feel sorry for the recipient. "At least the other ponies _tried _to be subtle about the ticket."

It just went from bad to worse. The other ponies now realized that Twilight had a ticket to the gala, no thanks to Pinkie Pie, and were giving her an overflow of offerings and compliments.

Spike and I traded looks, casted away the ear plugs, and leaped to her side, creating somewhat of a barrier around her. But the crowd was just closing in, causing my chest to constrict more and more. Panic was on the edge of my mind. Spike seemed to notice and placed a gentle claw on my side, but it was little help in our situation.

"What are we gonna do?" Spike asked Twilight desperately, eyeing me worriedly.

"We're gonna...RUN!"

A chase was underway once again and we did everything we could to drive the mob off our tails. We tried to hide, disguise, distract, and so much more, but they kept finding, like bloodthirsty hounds. Not long after, they were able to corner us at a dead end because we tired out quickly and swarmed around, leaving little space for us to move.

I couldn't take it anymore. My magic was getting erratic and the same could be said for Twilight. Twilight exploded first, her magic teleporting all three of us back to the library and we landed harshly, slightly burning the ground.

Spike got up dizzily. "Again. Warning would be a great help."

"I didn't even know that was gonna happen," she replied defensively, "now quick, lock the doors!"

"Way ahead of you," I said grimly. My pent up magic and panic bursted outward from me, magically locking every door and window and extinguishing every light source. Unfortunately, it was all for naught. A light turn on, revealing our _lovely _best friends. Also, including a Rarity with a neon orange mane, but that was beside the point.

Twilight was at the end of her ropes and let out a frustrated scream. "I can't decide! I just can't decide! It's important to all of you and I just can't stand to disappoint any of you and giving me gifts and doing me favors won't make any difference! Because you're all my friends and I want to make you all happy and I can't, I just can't!" At the end of the rant, she covered her head with her forelegs, shaking slightly.

My magic calmed down a bit at her distress. I laid down next to her and wrapped my hoof around her shoulders to give her comfort. Spike sat at her other side, patting her side. Right now I was seeing a little filly who was scared of being abandoned by the only friends she had. Young ones always had soft spot in my heart.

In a soothing voice that surprised everyone, including me, I said, "Twilight, we admire your willingness to put your friend's happiness ahead of your own, but your happiness also matters. Your best friends understand that." I gave the others a pointed look and they nodded their head in agreement. "There are gonna be other galas in the future and it's just foolish to fight over something as trivial as this. They know that now and I can tell they want to apologize for their behavior today."

The unicorn under me raised her head meekly, peeking over at her friends. They each gave a reassuring smile and sat down around her in a circle.

Applejack spoke first in a gentle tone. "Twilight, sugar, I-I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you. And if it helps, I don't want the ticket anymore."

"Me too. I feel just awful that I made you feel so awful," said Fluttershy in her quiet voice.

"And me too. It's no fun upsetting your friends," Pinkie Pie said somberly.

Next was Rarity. "Twilight, even though I got caught up with something else to go through with my plan, it was still shameful of me to even think of trying to force you to do something you don't want to do."

Rainbow Dash's reaction, however, was anything but remorseful. "Yes! That means I get the—"

She faltered once she caught a glimpse of me. I was giving a frigid death glare with next to nothing showing on my gaunt face and a dark aura around me, clearly expressing the dire consequences she was going to bring upon herself if she didn't apologize immediately. With me staring deeply into her own eyes, Rainbow Dash quickly re-evaluated her decision.

"You k-know, I-I haven't p-perf-fected my s-signature m-moves for the Wond-derb-bolts, a-anyway. I-I don't need t-that t-ticket either."

It was better than nothing. I was surprise she managed to get out comprehensible words with how much she was stuttering. The normally loud pegasus was now avoiding eye-contact and looking like her soul just left her body.

A giggle could be heard from under me and I looked down to see Twilight trying to stifle her amusement. Soon the dam broke and she roared with laughter, causing the others to crack up with tears in their eyes. I couldn't help but crack a small grin at the scene, even Rainbow Dash was laughing.

Once it died down, a light atmosphere remained.

"In all seriousness, we're truly sorry for how we acted," said Applejack.

And the rest nodded. "Agreed."

Twilight had a sincere smile as she gazed upon the ponies she called her best friends. She stood up, prompting the rest of us to do the same. "Spike, take down a note. Dear Princess Celestia, I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings. But when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful. So, through I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala... "

"What?!" they shouted. I just nodded with approval, accepting her decision.

Twilight gave them a confident grin. "...if my friends can't all go, I don't want to go either."

"Twilight, you don't have to do that," said Applejack.

"Nope, I've made up my mind. Since the tickets are already with the Princess, Spike, you can send the letter now."

With the letter rolled up, it was sent on its way to the Princess via flame. Though, Spike didn't look too happy about it.

"Now you won't get to go to the gala either," Fluttershy muttered sadly.

"It's okay, girls," Twilight stated calmly, "I couldn't possibly enjoy myself without my best friends there with me. So I would rather not go at all."

They all gathered around in a group hug. Still, I couldn't bring myself to be included so I stood beside them, glad that this all worked out. Of course, Twilight noted my absence and dragged me into the hug. I just accepted the fact that I could never escape this from now on and they all grinned at my submission.

We broke at the sound of gagging from Spike's direction. Applejack turned to reprimand his behavior but a burst of fire shot out, forming into a letter.

"A letter from the princess, that was fast," Twilight said surprised.

_Almost as if she was expecting Twilight to send the letter_, I thought skeptically. Now that I think about, why did she send only two tickets when she knew Twilight had more friends than that, with Twilight being her student and all? Of course, she was a princess and she might not be the one to send invitation to the guests. Throwing that thought to the back of my mind, I turn my attention to Spike.

_But what if, _my mind whispered.

"Seven tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala!" Spike announced excitedly, despite his vehement disagreement this morning.

"Now we can all go," Twilight declared excitedly.

I felt my eyes widened. Cheers erupted all around. However, this was disturbed by the roaring of Twilight's stomach. Both of us and Spike came to the realization that we ate nothing since breakfast, except for fluttershy's tea.

Rarity came up to her. "Allow us to treat you to dinner."

And just like that we walked out of the door one by one, taking a ticket on the way out. Being the last one to leave, I noticed that Spike didn't receive a ticket. I was going to offer my own, but a letter appeared from the flames with another ticket, just for Spike.

He hopped with joy when the ticket dropped in his claws until he saw me at the doorway, like a dear caught in the headlights. Reverting back to his tough persona, he acted as if going to the gala was the most horrible thing ever. I just gave him a knowing smile and gestured him to catch up with the others. He did so gladly and I locked the door behind me with a flicker of magic.

Walking behind the chattering group, I stared at my own golden ticket thoughtfully. Galas and any other kind of public event had never been my thing and I wondered how I was going to cope with the crowd of fancy, judging upper class ponies.

Twilight saw my lingering form in the back and walk side by side with me, which I secretly appreciated.

She gazed at me with concern. "Are you alright, Astoria? You used a lot of magic today."

I adopted a neutral expression. "Nothing a little food can't fix."

A sigh was heard next to me. "Astoria, you know that me and the girls are your friends right?"

I nodded, confuse at where this was going.

She spoke in soothing tone. "Well, then you should know that you can tell us anything. Keeping everything bottled up is not healthy and I'm worried about you, we all are. You don't have to tell is absolutely everything and we want you to go at your own pace. Just remember that we are here to listen and who knows, maybe it's exactly what you need."

The silence was loud in my ears. My thoughts were all over the place, from wanting to pour my heart out to hiding away my secrets for all of eternity.

_But,_ I thought, _they're my friends, best friends. _Another voice replied with malice, _they won't be for long and you know that._

This internal conflict was stressing me out until I felt a hoof on my shoulder, causing me to stop in place. I turned my head to her and saw the warmth, the _love, _within her violet irises. This firmly locked my decision and I hope I didn't make the wrong choice.

I took a deep breathe and spoke only a little louder than a whisper. "I don't like big crowds. They make me uncomfortable and anxious. My heart would beat faster than normal and I can't breath properly. And the gala would have a lot of ponies there. I don't know if I can handle it."

My sentences were stilted but I got my point across. I waited for Twilight's reaction silently, wondering if she would think of me as weird. But, she surprised me by giving me a look of pure acceptance.

With a smile, she said, "thank you for telling me. But, the girls, Spike, and I will be there as well. So, if you start to feel uncomfortable, just remember that your best friends will be by your side. I promise."

The last two words were said with such conviction that I couldn't help but believe her. The corners of my mouth turned up slightly and I did something I hadn't done in a long time. I pulled Twilight into a hug. As awkward as it is, she didn't hesitate to hug me back and it brought me comfort.

Suddenly, a shout from Rainbow Dash interrupted us. "Hey, Ghostie, Twilight! C'mon we're gonna start if you don't get your butts here fast! And Pinkie's gonna make dessert!"

Twilight let out a laugh. "We'll be right there!"

She glanced back at me and hesitated for a second. "Are you ok with telling the others too? It's your choice, but just to let you know, they probably already suspect."

"I'm fine with that." And I honestly was. "Let's eat dinner."

——————————————————

**Author's Note:**

**As always comments and critics are welcomed. I know there are probably a lot of mistakes but I'm just satisfied that I finished a chapter cus I'm really lazy and procrastinator.**

**I mostly just writing Astoria's feelings based on my own so please don't feel offended if it looks like I'm describing anxiety or something along those lines, which I'm not, I'm just describIng what I feel. **

**Until the next update. **


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